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LA WATCHDOG - Little attention has been paid to the City’s six ballot measures that are on the November ballot. There are also three City Council seats up for grabs. While it is too early to make definitive recommendations, here is a listing of the ballot measures and the City Council races with some preliminary thoughts.
INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. CHARTER AMENDMENT __________.
Shall the City Charter be amended to establish an independent redistricting commission to redraw Council district lines every ten years in the City of Los Angeles?
This appears to be a no brainer, especially given the brouhaha caused by the secretly recorded conversation involving three members of the City Council and a labor leader. There is still the question of how many Council Districts. See Council File 24-1100-S6.
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INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION FOR THE LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. CHARTER AMENDMENT ______.
Shall the City Charter be amended to establish an independent redistricting commission to redraw Board of Education district lines every ten years in the Los Angeles Unified School District?
Again, another no brainer. Will there be increase in the number of districts since each district has a population of over 700,000 residents? See Council File 24-1100-S7.
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CITY ETHICS COMMISSION AUTHORITY AND OPERATIONAL INDEPENDENCE. CHARTER AMENDMENT ______.
Shall the City Charter be amended to establish a minimum annual budget for the City Ethics Commission; increase the Commission’s authority over spending decisions and hiring matters; allow the Commission to obtain outside counsel in limited circumstances; impose additional qualification requirements on Commission members; require the City Council to hold a public hearing on Commission proposals; and increase penalties for violations of City laws?
Something is better than nothing, but labor’s opposition to the three components “water-downed” recommended reforms. These include the ability of members of the Ethics Commissions to select additional members, to require that the City Council respond within 120 days to policy recommendations by the commission, and to place measures on the ballot when the City Council disagrees with the commission’s recommendations. See Council File 24-1100-S8.
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LOS ANGELES FIRE AND POLICE PENSIONS; PEACE OFFICERS. CHARTER AMENDMENT ________.
Shall the City Charter be amended to: allow peace officers employed by the Police, Airport, Harbor, and Recreation and Parks Departments to transfer membership and service from the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System to the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Plan; and require the City to pay associated costs, including refunds to certain Airport and Police Department members for prior transfers?
Anything involving the City’s two pension plans requires additional study. See Council File 24-1100-S10.
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CITY ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS. CHARTER AMENDMENT_____.
Shall the City Charter be amended to: clarify that the El Pueblo Monument and the Zoo are park property; clarify that departments may sell merchandise to support City operations; include gender identity in non-discrimination rules applicable to employment by the City; clarify the Airport Commission’s authority to establish fees and regulations; and make other changes and clarifications related to City administration and operations?
Again, the measure will require additional study especially since it is hard to trust City Hall and the bureaucracy. See Council File 24-1100-S11.
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CITY GOVERNANCE, APPOINTMENTS, AND ELECTIONS. CHARTER AMENDMENT______.
Shall the City Charter be amended to: require that commission appointees file financial disclosures before they can be confirmed; clarify the Controller’s auditing authority regarding City contractors; expand the City Attorney’s subpoena power; authorize temporary appointments to certain general manager positions; establish a process to evaluate the impacts of laws proposed by initiative petition; and make other changes and clarifications regarding City governance, appointments, and elections?
Again, the measure will require additional study especially since it is hard to trust City Hall and the bureaucracy. See Council File 24-1100-S11.
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POLICE DEPARTMENT BOARD OF RIGHTS; POLICE CHIEF AUTHORITY TO TERMINATE. CHARTER AMENDMENT ___.
Shall the City Charter be amended to: (1) change the composition of the Board of Rights, which holds hearings and makes decisions regarding police misconduct, to one sworn officer and two civilians; (2) grant the Police Chief authority to directly terminate certain officers for cause; and (3) establish binding arbitration as the appeal process for officers directly terminated by the Police Chief?
Mayor Bass vetoed this ballot measure. It will not be on the ballot unless ten members of the City Council override the veto. See Council File 24-1100-S9.
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There are three Council Districts that are on the ballot.
In Council District 2, who will replace the termed out Paul Krekorian, Adrin Nazarian or Julian Burgos? Nazarian appears to be more qualified given his experience as a member of the State Assembly and as an aide to Council Members Tom LaBonge and Paul Krekorian.
In CD 10, Grace Yoo has better grasp of the serious financial issues facing the City and has a strong knowledge of the district. She is also an outsider, not part of the City Hall machine.
In CD 14, incumbent Kevin de Leon appears to be toast as a result of his participation in the racial tinged, secretly recorded meeting with two other members of the City Council and a labor leader.
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A recent editorial in The Times criticized the leadership of the City for its failure to place more reform measures on the ballot, including increasing the size of the City Council. Rather, the City Council “dithered” over details and had “excruciating” detailed discussions that ended up going nowhere. We now have a committee to address charter reform. We will see how that goes, especially regarding the Structural Deficit.
As for the November election, more later, including on the State and County ballot measures.
(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. He can be reached at: [email protected].)
