The South Bay Council of Governments (COG) is actively seeking nominations to Metro’s South Bay Cities Service Councils.

How it works: The COG makes nominations for the Service Council, and the Metro Board of Directors approves them — after which new members are sworn in and can begin their terms.

Service Council members serve three-year terms with no term limits. Annually, three of the seats on each Council expire on June 30. The term of the three expiring seats is from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. One of the three current seats on the South Bay Service Council is vacant and the Council will need to bring on a new member.

Metro’s Service Councils meet monthly to provide the public with opportunities to share their direct feedback on Metro programs, policies and service.

The Councils also hold public hearings for major bus and rail service changes, and send bus service change recommendations to the Metro Board.

Benefits of serving as a Councilmember include a Metro badge for unlimited use of Metro Rail and Bus, and a $100 stipend per meeting, for up to two meetings per month. To qualify, you must live in, work in, or represent the South Bay Cities – find a map of the region here to verify eligibility. More information about the Service Councils is available here.

Metro encourages nominations to the Service Councils that reflect the demographics of their regions. The demographics of South Bay Cities Service Council membership compared to the ridership and community of the region (2019 American Community Survey Metro Ridership Survey) are:

The COG also seeks representation across the region. Areas currently represented on the Council are: Carson, Gardena, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Watts/Willowbrook/Inglewood, Inglewood/El Segundo, and Hermosa Beach.

If you or someone you know is interested in serving on the South Bay Service Council, submit a short bio and explanation as to why they should be selected to Jacki Bacharach, Executive Director of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments at jacki@southbaycities.org by Friday, March 25.

Self-nominations are accepted. The COG will then screen candidates and may interview them before making their selection. For more information, contact the COG at the email above or by phone at 310-293-2612.