No Reforming LA's City Charter without Public Participation!

The City of LA’s Charter is like the city’s constitution, and was drafted in 1924. The Charter establishes the structure of government and its basic powers, such as what the city council has the power to do and what processes they take to get there. Changing the Charter can impact how well, or not well, the people of Los Angeles are represented as the city changes.

The Charter can be updated by a Charter Commission, which reviews the charter and proposes changes, and then by LA city voters on an election ballot. 

The LA City Council is considering establishing a new Charter Commission for the first time since the late 1990s. This is an opportunity for everyday people like YOU to have a say in what your city government should look like, which impacts how well the city works for you. 

But the City Council is considering detrimental limits to public participation. Here’s what we’re calling for instead: 

  • The Commission should have an independent, inclusive, and representative process in selecting commissioners, instead of being mostly appointed by political leaders. Council President Paul Krekorian suggested that the majority (8 out of 13) of the Commission members should be politically appointed by the Mayor and City Council President. Political appointees may not reflect the diversity of the city or represent the interests of everyday Angelenos. The people of LA deserve to be fairly and independently represented in the reform process of the City’s Charter.

  • The Charter Commission should have the power to put measures directly on the ballot by a supermajority vote of commissioners. The Chief Legislative Analyst has suggested that no matter what the recommendations of the Charter Commission, that their recommendations must be sent back to City Council, who can approve or revise the final proposals sent to voters. This can leave the public vulnerable to exactly the same self-serving political meddling that plagued redistricting in 2021, during which we heard Councilmembers Kevin de Leon, Nury Martinez, and Gil Cedillo impose their own selfish interests into a process guided by a separate – but solely advisory – redistricting commission. 

  • Council should place any and all charter reform measures on General Election ballots, rather than on Primary Election ballots. Primary Elections draw lower voter turnout, while general elections draw larger and more diverse votership. The largest possible number of Angelenos ought to be able to weigh in on laws that could change the way they are represented and governed.

Let’s urge LA City Councilmembers to take our recommendations above and ensure our voices are heard as we update our city charter. 

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You can also send emails directly to some or all of the people who are on the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reform which is currently discussing these issues: councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org, contactcd4@lacity.org, councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org, councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org, cd10@lacity.org, councilmember.hernandez@lacity.org, councilmember.park@lacity.org

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