Los Angeles residents have launched a petition for Mayor Karen Bass to resign and it has surpassed 60,000 signatures, reflecting the public frustration over her handling of the devastating 2025 wildfires.
The fires, which have ravaged areas in and around Los Angeles, have claimed at least 11 lives and forced over 130,000 Californians to evacuate their homes.
The petition, hosted on Change.org and titled “Demand the Immediate Resignation of Mayor Karen Bass,” was initiated by Los Angeles residents.
As of Friday, more than 62,000 people had signed, urging Bass to step down for what they describe as “gross mismanagement and failure to effectively respond” to the crisis.
Petition Details
The petition begins with a blunt accusation: “We, the undersigned residents of Los Angeles and concerned citizens, urgently call for the immediate recall of Mayor Karen Bass due to her gross mismanagement and failure to effectively respond to the devastating 2025 fires in and around the city of Los Angeles.”
The document asserts that Los Angeles was “woefully unprepared” for the fires, leaving residents without adequate resources, such as water and emergency services. It also criticizes the city’s leadership for being “nowhere to be found” when decisive action was most needed.
In addition to demanding Bass’s resignation, the petition outlines several calls to action:
Full Investigation: A comprehensive and transparent inquiry into the city’s disaster preparedness and response failures.
Accountability for Mismanagement: An audit of taxpayer funds allocated for disaster relief and recovery, ensuring no misuse of public money.
Preventative Planning: The development of a robust plan to safeguard Angelenos against future disasters, including adequate resource allocation and improved emergency response strategies.
The petition concludes with a statement of no confidence in Bass’s leadership: “The people of Los Angeles deserve a leader who is present, accountable, and actively working to protect and serve our community. Mayor Bass’s actions—or lack thereof—have shown she is unfit for the office she holds.”
Background: Cuts to Emergency Services
Public anger has been further fueled by revelations that, prior to the wildfires, Mayor Bass had made significant budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Reports indicate that she slashed over $17 million from the department’s budget and had been considering an additional $49 million reduction just a week before the fires began.
Critics argue these cuts left the city ill-equipped to handle a disaster of this magnitude. Firefighters struggled with limited water supplies and outdated equipment as they battled the blazes, and many residents felt abandoned by city leadership.
Los Angeles residents challenges
The fires, which have burned across vast swathes of Southern California, have devastated homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
At least 11 people have lost their lives, and more than 56 square miles of land have been consumed by the inferno. The economic toll is projected to exceed $150 billion, with thousands of families left homeless.
Emergency services have faced overwhelming challenges, including high winds, dry conditions, and the lack of access to critical water resources. Compounding the situation, the Santa Ynez Reservoir—normally a crucial water source for firefighting efforts—was drained and out of service at the time of the fires.
Community Demands and Broader Implications
Critics point to the mayor’s decision to increase funding for the Los Angeles Police Department by $126 million while cutting the LAFD’s budget. This, they argue, is emblematic of misplaced priorities that have left the city vulnerable.
What’s Next?
The petition’s organizers are pushing for it to gain even more traction in the coming weeks. According to California law, a formal recall effort would require verified signatures from at least 15% of the registered voters in Los Angeles, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of signatures.
If the petition succeeds, it would trigger a special election to determine whether Bass should remain in office.
