The City of West Covina (population 110,000) encompasses 16 square miles and is located in the San Gabriel Valley, approximately 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The City’s residents enjoy pleasurable year-round weather that has made the region famous. The City is a regional center for retail, health care services, and corporate offices. West Covina is a well-planned, urban community with several accessible and well-designed parks and recreational facilities. The City offers excellent educational opportunities for residents, including 20 public and private elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. West Covina is a General Law City with a Council-Manager form of government. The five City Council Members are elected at-large to overlapping four-year terms, and one is selected annually by the Council to serve as Mayor. West Covina is a full-service City with about 475 employees providing services in the following departments: City Manager, Police, Fire, Finance, Human Resources, City Clerk, Public Works, Planning, and Community Services.