On Jan. 23, Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian attended the California Assembly Floor Session in Sacramento. Nazarian attended the conference as a presidential appointee to the League of California Cities Public Safety Committee.
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Vice Mayor of Beverly Hills, Sharona Nazarian, to the gallery,” California State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur told attendees. Chavez Zbur represents District 51, which includes the city of Beverly Hills, among others.
“Sharona is a 30-year Beverly Hills resident with strong community ties … she’s an accomplished community leader, philanthropic advocate and a proud immigrant. She’s dedicated her career to public service and combating antisemitism and has a deep commitment to giving back to the community that she loves so much,” Chavez Zbur said.
“I was honored to be invited to the Assembly Floor by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur as part of my visit to Sacramento,” Nazarian told the Courier.
Nazarian , who received a standing ovation from the Assembly, continued, “The recognition on the Assembly floor was truly a humbling and unexpected moment that I will never forget. I am deeply grateful to Assemblymember Zbur and the entire Assembly for this acknowledgment, as it is a reminder of the importance of collaboration at every level of government to address the challenges we face.”
Assembly Bill 4 was passed during the meeting, which allocates $2.5 billion for wildfire recovery and prevention in Southern California. The bill passed with a vote of 78-0, emphasizing the urgency and bipartisan support for addressing the ongoing wildfire crisis that has devastated the greater Los Angeles area.
The California legislature also convened to discuss and vote on Senate Bill 3 by Senator Scott Wiener, which aims to provide $2.5 billion in emergency disaster relief funding. The bill includes $4 million for expedited building approvals for impacted homeowners and $1 million for initial planning to rebuild damaged school facilities. The bill passed with affirmative votes from all members and was immediately transmitted to the Senate for enrollment.
Nazarian, who serves on the Legislative Liaison Ad Hoc for the city of Beverly Hills, also used her time in Sacramento to meet with representatives and discuss critical issues impacting Beverly Hills and neighboring communities.
“I met with Assemblymember Zbur, Senator Ben Allen, and staff from the offices of Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel to discuss issues such as improving public safety and funding, wildfire prevention, combating antisemitism, addressing fire insurance remapping to secure equitable and affordable coverage, water resource challenges and improving Southern California Edison’s efficiency,” Nazarian said. “I am committed to advocating for the needs of our residents and ensuring that Beverly Hills remains safe, resilient and supported.”
Nazarian is the first Iranian American woman to serve on the Beverly Hills City Council. She will assume the role of mayor in April.
