Your guide to obscure but important L.A. City Charter amendments, county measures
In Tuesday's election, voters in Los Angeles city and county will decide on several charter amendments and ballot measures.
While these proposals are not getting as much attention as the presidential race or the fight for L.A. County district attorney, they will affect how local government is run.
Here is what you need to know:
Charter Amendment DD: L.A. city redistricting
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment DD: Taking redistricting away from L.A. politicians
Charter Amendment DD would take the process of drawing L.A. City Council district boundaries out of the hands of the council, turning it over to an independent panel of citizen volunteers. Under the ballot proposal, the independent redistricting commission would be made up of 16 members and four alternates.
City elected officials would not play a role in selecting those commissioners. Instead, the city clerk would randomly draw the names of eight applicants, each from a different section of the city.
Charter Amendment ER: Ethics reform
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment ER: Revamping L.A.'s Ethics Commission
Charter Amendment ER would strengthen the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission by boosting its budget, increasing penalties for wrongdoing and giving it the power to hire its own lawyer, at least in some cases. The proposal comes after a series of scandals at City Hall.
Backers say it would give the Ethics Commission more financial stability by establishing a minimum annual budget of $7 million, starting in 2025-26.
Charter Amendment FF: Police pensions
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment FF: Should L.A.'s lesser-known police get better pensions?
Charter Amendment FF would give some members of smaller L.A. policing departments access to the same retirement benefits enjoyed by the vast majority of the city’s other public safety employees (most notably the Los Angeles Police Department).
If the charter amendment passes, about 460 officers employed by the Police, Airport, Harbor, and Recreation and Parks departments would switch into the more generous Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions plan.
Charter Amendment HH: City business
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment HH: Clarifying L.A. city business
Charter Amendment HH would strengthen and update the city’s governance powers, including clarifying the roles of elected officials and commissioners. The measure was compiled from suggestions drawn from across city departments.
Among the issues addressed by HH: the ability of the city controller to conduct financial audits and the expansion of the city attorney's subpoena powers.
Charter Amendment II: City administrative procedures
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment II: Updating Los Angeles city administrative procedures
Charter Amendment II would clarify and update some city administrative and operational practices. It needs a simple majority of votes to pass.
Among other things, the charter amendment would clarify that the El Pueblo Monument and the Los Angeles Zoo are “park property”; that city departments can sell merchandise and food to support city operations; and that the Board of Airport Commissioners can establish fees, rules and regulations.
Charter Amendment LL: LAUSD redistricting
Read more: Your guide to Charter Amendment LL: Taking LAUSD redistricting away from L.A. politicians
Charter Amendment LL seeks to take the politics out of LAUSD redistricting. If approved, the entire process would be turned over to an independent panel of citizen volunteers.
The L.A. Unified redistricting commission would consist of 14 members, at least four of whom must be parents or guardians of pupils who attend a district school at the time of their selection.
Measure A: Homeless sales tax
Read more: Your guide to Measure A: Sales tax to fund homelessness programs
Los Angeles County voters have previously backed taxes to help reduce homelessness. Now the question is: Will they do it again?
The last big vote was in 2017, when Measure H — a quarter-cent sales tax to fund services for homeless people — passed.
Now, a coalition of nonprofits, service providers and labor unions is backing Measure A, which would replace Measure H two years before it expires and raise the sales tax to half a cent. The tax would remain in effect indefinitely, unless repealed by voters.
Measure G: Expanding the L.A. County Board of Supervisors
Read more: Your guide to Measure G: Expanding the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, electing a county executive
Measure G would force the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to part with some of its power by adding four new board members and an elected county executive. The county currently has an appointed chief executive who reports to the supervisors.
The measure also calls for the creation of an independent ethics commission to root out corruption in county government.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
