The following story appeared in the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press 70th Anniversary issue, published April 21. To view the entire issue, click here.

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge hikes the trails in Griffith Park daily, giving him a bird’s eye view of the 4th District neighborhoods he represented from 2001-2015.

(photo Edwin Folven)

The views bring back fond memories of his tenure on the city council and as a city employee and volunteer for 40 years. A life-long Silver Lake resident, LaBonge said he loves Los Angeles and it was his destiny to serve the people of the City of Angels. Since retiring last June, he said he misses the communities he served and the people he worked with over the decades.

“What makes the 4th District special is the neighborhoods and the people. Larchmont, Hancock Park, the Miracle Mile, they are all so special,” LaBonge said. “I also miss the people who work for the city. I see the traffic officers and the city workers and people I know and it takes me back. I was on Rossmore one day driving in my car and a city truck came by and the driver leaned out and said, ‘Hey Tom.’ It was great. The key to success is working with people, and the people who are key are the city employees.”

LaBonge said his love for the city dates to his childhood. He attended Ivanhoe Elementary, Thomas Starr King Middle School and Marshall High School, where he was a star center on the football team. He played football with quarterback Mike Haynes, who went on to play in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders. After graduating high school in 1971, LaBonge attended Los Angeles City College and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he received a degree in sociology.

It was during his final year in college that he began his career with the city, joining Mayor Tom Bradley’s Youth Advisory Council in 1974. From there, he worked as a council aide to former Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson, who represented the 13th District. He said he enjoyed working on projects in the community and helping solve problems, and parlayed his experience into a staff position with the late City Council President John Ferraro.

On Tom LaBonge’s last day at city hall, his colleagues gave him a standing ovation. LaBonge’s wife, Brigid, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, Mayor Garcetti and City Attorney Mike Feuer were there to honor him. (photo by Edwin Folven)

On Ferraro’s staff, he was involved in organizing the 1984 Olympic Games and worked as a council aide tackling neighborhood issues. He said Ferraro inspired him as a civil servant and instilled a hands-on work ethic that he carried throughout his career.

“John Ferraro was a great leader for the city. He championed the ’84 Olympics, which transformed the city,” LaBonge said. “He also really cared about the neighborhoods. After 16 years of working with John, I ran for city council in the 13th District and lost by 40 votes to Jackie Goldberg.”

Never dissuaded, LaBonge worked briefly as an assistant to Mayor Richard Riordan and with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power before making another attempt at joining the city council. In 2001, Ferraro passed away and LaBonge won a special election to fill the vacancy left by his mentor. He went on to serve another three terms representing the 4th District.

“When I left last year, I was the highest ranking council member in number of years [on the council],” LaBonge said. “It was a true pleasure to serve on the city council and I am proud of the things I was able to accomplish.”

LaBonge said his biggest accomplishment was helping clear the way for the Purple Line Extension project to begin. As a member of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board, he helped the project roll forward by calling for studies on safely building a tunnel under Wilshire Boulevard.

LaBonge credited former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, former Congressman Henry Waxman and then-State Assemblyman Mike Feuer for authoring legislation that allowed Metro to plan the project. Preliminary construction on the Purple Line Extension began during LaBonge’s final two years in office.

“That’s the biggest long-range thing. We started the studies, and now here we are today. Now they’re working away in the Miracle Mile,” LaBonge said. “The subway will change the area dramatically in a positive way. Exciting times are coming for the Miracle Mile.”

LaBonge said he is also proud of helping clear the way for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to install Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” on Wilshire Boulevard. The assemblage of vintage streetlights is located where Ogden Drive used to intersect Wilshire Boulevard. LaBonge had the street closed and the area turned into a public plaza for LACMA.

“We closed Ogden and created a great public space,” LaBonge said. “I like to go and sit there and watch the people visiting. There is no greater diversity than at Urban Light in the evening. I was very proud of my involvement with that.”

LaBonge said his many other accomplishments include forming a public-private partnership that raised funding to buy the land around Cahuenga Peak so it could be donated to Griffith Park. Helping establish the historic preservation overlay zone in Hancock Park is another high point in LaBonge’s career. It prevents people from demolishing houses and building new ones that are out of character in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.

LaBonge said he hasn’t ruled out working again in a position to help the people of Los Angeles. In the meantime, he has been traveling and enjoying retirement with his wife of 28 years, Brigid.

“Right now, I’m spending time with my family and taking time to see people I haven’t seen in years,” LaBonge added. “I always tried to work with people. I cared about the community and worked hard. For those I met and were able to achieve common ground, we were able to achieve a lot. The opportunities given to me by Mayor Bradley and John Ferraro helped me along the way. I hope somebody reading this will take advantage of the opportunities and say they want to try to help the city and the people, too.”