Editing Hawaiian Gardens, California (section)

===City government===
The City of Hawaiian Gardens is a [[General-law municipality|general law]] city and governs itself as a council-manager form of government. The city council is elected [[at-large]]. The city council appoints the city manager. The council establishes policies and ordinances and the city manager, assisted by the department heads, implements them. It is a [[contract city]], meaning its main municipal services (fire, police, library) are contracted to other regional agencies. Prior to the passage of [[1978 California Proposition 13|Proposition 13]] in 1978, this, along with the city's gambling revenue, allowed it to keep property taxes very low. Incorporation in 1964 was primarily intended to prevent annexation to Long Beach, a full-service city with higher property taxes. As a small municipal enclave centered around gambling near many transit arteries, it has been called the "Money Laundering Capital" of Southern California.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scbuetz |first1=Richard |title=Hawaiian Gardens, California: The Money Laundering Capital of the World |url=https://ggbnews.com/article/hawaiian-gardens-california-the-money-laundering-capital-of-the-world/ |website=GGB News |date=January 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hawaiian Gardens casino to pay California $3.15 million, admits misleading regulators |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-05/hawaiian-gardens-casino-settlement |website=Los Angeles Times |date=2019}}</ref>

The city council members must be Hawaiian Gardens residents and registered voters. As specified by the [[Constitution of California]], city elections are non-partisan. One council member is also selected as a member of the [[Gateway Cities|Gateway Cities Council of Governments]].