The first ever Filipino American elected in the Los Angeles City Council is actively doing her job as a freshman legislator by positively endorsing three key projects lately.

First, last June 6, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, the only openly queer LA City Councilmember, kicked off the LA City Council Pride Presentation. This year’s theme is Building Collective Power Through Community, as the city uplifts its local organizations that support the queer community. The councilmember honored the city-wide queer organizations: Latino Equity Alliance, REACH LA, and Los Angeles LGBT Legal Services Center with individual district honorees.

The event was held at theLos Angeles City Hall, John E. Ferraro Chambers, 200 N. Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Second, after a series of stops, three to be exact, in various parts of Council District 14 and nearly 200 attendees, the Budget Listening Tour she led, enlisted the help of City Controller Kenneth Mejia and Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky to help demystify the process and inform Councilmember Jurado’s priorities. 

Today, Councilmember Jurado voted to adopt the 25-26 City Budget culminating a nearly two month’s long community engagement process that started with her Budget Listening Tour. 

“Throughout this process, I’ve brought my constituents along the way to ensure my vote reflects their priorities,” said Councilmember Jurado. “While this budget reflects tough choices and is far from perfect, it shows a willingness to face our structural challenges head-on, setting a path for a more just, equitable, and inclusive Los Angeles.”

The adopted budget included several of those priorities she has been advocating such as: Retaining as much funding as possible for city services that contribute to public safety including graffiti removal and street lighting repair; Preserving funding for key workforce development programs such as the Day Laborer Centers.; and Restoring 38 critical planning positions to implement the DTLA 2040 Plan and develop the Boyle Heights Community Plan.

In a press statement sent to this writer, “Councilmember Jurado will continue to actively explore opportunities and creative solutions to fund her priorities that were not included in the final budget, including the Benjamin Franklin Library and public restrooms.”

Third, Council member Jurado reaches community agreement on 710 corridor zoning. Today, in a press statement sent by her office,  “the City Council approved a motion memorializing an agreement reached with community members regarding 710 corridor zoning. This agreement is a result of a community consensus determined through a series of meetings led by Councilmember Jurado’s office. The zoning adopted by the motion will allow for the 710 corridors to continue with the existing single-family, low-density multi-family and low-scale commercial characteristics of the neighborhood while allowing property owners to pull basic building permits not allowed under previous designations.”

The statement states: “This agreement is an example of community-led development and co-governance in action,” said Councilmember Jurado. “I’m grateful for the El Sereno community’s willingness to work with my team to restore trust and communication lost in previous administrations.” 

Further, Councilmember Jurado introduced the motion on April 29, and today the motion was approved by a 12-0 vote. This long-awaited motion allows property owners to make renovations and expansions that have been delayed for decades due to improper zoning.   

Jorge Garcia, of the El Sereno Historical Society, said: “The 710 Caltrans homes have been an issue in the community for decades. The fate of the homes was in limbo for years, especially after the 710 extension was defeated. Our hope was for current residents to be able to buy the homes they have been living in. Councilmember Jurado and her staff took the time to listen to the community’s concerns and actually worked to find a common ground.”

Community member Val Marquez stated: “We spent weeks reviewing the plans and raising concerns, and for them to not only listen, but adopt our recommendation, shows they respected our input. That kind of engagement makes a huge difference. It felt like a real collaboration. To me, this means our voices matter. It proves that with enough care, persistence, and community effort, we can shape how our neighborhoods grow—and still preserve what makes them feel like home.”

El Sereno Resident, Hugo Garcia spoke about the collaboration process, “I believe the Councilmember and her staff – unlike her predecessor, responded to the community’s concerns in a very transparent and inclusive manner. Councilmember Jurado met with our committee three times and was very forthright and responsive.”

The new zoning will apply to approximately 300 parcels in the pathway of the 710 North Extension Freeway.

Jurado has achieved tangible results during her first 100 days in office. According to the article written by Andrew Lopez and Alejandra Molina, Ysabel Jurado’s first 100 days, she devoted her time tackling city services, housing and community engagement

“The L.A. Councilwoman has taken initial steps to address streetlight outages and a library closure in the 14th District. But constituents say the real test is still ahead,” the article mentioned.

This was her commitment on Election night: Bringing back basic city services to the region which was among her first order of business.

Jurado, who represents the 14th District, has introduced motions calling city agencies to look into the district’s unreliable street lights and the closure of a Boyle Heights library plagued by construction delays. While these reports are forthcoming, Jurado has touted these actions as “just getting started.”

“Good things take time and they take even longer at City Hall,” Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat in a statement. 

Ysabel J. Jurado is an American tenants’ rights lawyer and politician who ran for the Los Angeles City Council in 2024 and defeated  incumbent Kevin de León, becoming the first person of Filipino descent elected to the City Council.

She was born and raised in Highland Park, Los Angeles, to Carlo Jurado, a DJ, and Jocelyn Jurado. She has one brother, Raphael. Her grandmother, Irene Jurado, was a lawyer in Iligan, Philippines, serving as lead counsel for The Evening Post. At age 17, Jurado became a mother and co-parented with her aunt while working. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor. She then pursued a career as a housing rights attorney, where she focused on defending workers facing wage theft and representing tenants in eviction cases.