Six LA council members lay groundwork for 2017 election. Signalling their desire to run for re-election, six Los Angeles City Council members have filed campaign fundraising papers with the city.

Council members Joe Buscaino, Bob Blumenfield, Mike Bonin, Gil Cedillo, Mitch O’Farrell and Curren Price filed fundraising documents for the 2017 election, city records show.

The filings, all made in the last three weeks, allow council members to begin soliciting contributions of up to $700 per donor.

Separate documents announcing one’s candidacy must also be filed, but not until closer to the election.

The primary is scheduled for March 7, 2017, with the general election slated for May 16, 2017.

All the council members who filed papers joined the Los Angeles City Council in 2013, with the exception of Buscaino, who took office following a 2012 special election.

Price, whose 9th District includes the historic Central Avenue Corridor and L.A. Live area, said campaigning allows him to talk to voters in his district about homelessness and street vending issues.

But fundraising, he added, “is a necessary evil.”

Buscaino represents the San Pedro and Watts region, and Blumenfield’s district includes Woodland Hills and Winnetka. Bonin’s district includes Venice and LAX, while Cedillo’s district includes Highland Park and Lincoln Heights. O’Farrell represents the Hollywood and Echo Park region.