Former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley needs 10 votes from the LA City Council to be reinstated

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City Council will hold a hearing Tuesday to reconsider reinstating former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, who needs 10 votes to overturn the mayor's decision.

"It's her right to appeal just as it's her right to stay in the department, so we'll see what happens," said Mayor Karen Bass.

Bass' decision appears to have the support of the majority of councilmembers, although Traci Park and Monica Rodriguez have both said they would not have fired Crowley.

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky believes there's virtually no chance Crowley gets her job back.

"Suppose they reinstated Chief Crowley back to her position as the fire chief and you had a mayor and a fire chief who did not have confidence in one another. Well, the mayor is the boss. The fire chief is a subordinate, an employee of the mayor. You can't have that kind of situation where the mayor and the subordinate don't have confidence in one another. Can't trust each other," said Yaroslavsky, who is also the director of the Los Angeles Institute at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said Bass needs to have the full confidence of her general managers and her chiefs.

"The mayor has that prerogative. I always try and go into council and into votes with an open mind. Especially something like this where somebody's career is at stake, but also the way that the city is governed and the way our fire department is run is at stake," said Blumenfield.

Crowley was appointed by previous Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Tensions have been high between Bass and Crowley since the Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7.

"Ultimately, everything that happens in this city, it does stop with me," said Bass.

Bass appointed former LAFD Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva as the department's interim chief.

She is launching a national search to find the next chief.