If elected, Mejia would become the first Filipino elected official in the city of LA
FOLLOWING the 2022 primary election, Kenneth Mejia, the ambitious grassroots candidate for Los Angeles city controller, advanced to the November runoff against Councilmember Paul Koretz, making him one step closer to becoming the first Filipino elected official in the city of LA’s history.
Mejia, 31, is a certified public accountant (CPA) with 11 years of experience in accounting and auditing, which he says will give him a technical edge to becoming controller, which, essentially, is a city’s top auditor.
In an email sent to the Asian Journal, Mejia — who had been leading among the field of candidates — expressed excitement and pride over making it to the general election, praising his campaign team and supporters.
“This is a testament that young and diverse campaigns powered by the people can win big elections when you focus on the issues and exemplify how the position you’re running for can help address those issues,” Mejia told the Asian Journal.
While the job of a controller isn’t to dictate what is in a city’s budget, a controller also helps analyze the effectiveness of different city departments and agencies. As the city’s chief accounting officer, the controller also oversees and manages city payroll and spending, report city finances, and offers metrics and data regarding expenditures.
While it isn’t entirely up to a controller to dictate the city budget, Mejia has called for diverting funds from the Los Angeles Police Department and allocating them to various community resources, including a guaranteed income program that provides $1,000 a month for low-income households.
Famously, Mejia’s campaign billboards highlight the LAPD’s $3.1 billion budget, paired with the exponentially lower financial investments in housing, transportation, and homelessness. As the controller, he noted that transparency of finances would be a major part of his post.
“When elected as City Controller, I’d like to make sure that all of the city’s finances are easily transparent and accessible since right now it is difficult to find that information. In addition, I’d like to focus on educating the public on the role of the City Controller, how to use our websites, and teach people about finance and how it can benefit Angelenos,” he said.
Previously, Mejia ran for the United States Congress three times. Though the controller is an apolitical position, Mejia has been vocal about his progressive values, not least of which includes making sure that ethnic minorities are represented in government.
“I am very proud to be representing our kababayan,” Mejia added. “I would be the first Filipino elected official in the City of LA and first [Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)] city-wide elected official. Hoping more people who look like me feel inspired in the political process and get involved!”
