L.A. City Council should expand to 25 members, charter reform commission says

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The size of the Los Angeles City Council should increase from 15 to 25 seats, the city’s Charter Reform Commission recommended Thursday.On a 9-2 vote, the commission backed the council expansion, with supporters saying that smaller ethnic groups, including Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander residents, would be better represented.The council has consisted of 15 members since 1925, when the city had fewer than 600,000 residents, compared with 3.9 million today.“I think we owe the people of Los Angeles to walk out of this room saying that we are a commission that’s concerned about equity, that we are a commission that is concerned about Black and AAPI folks who live in this city,” said Commissioner James M.

Thomas, who supported the expansion.The commission also recommended ranked choice voting, where voters list candidates in order of preference, for municipal elections beginning in 2032.The city should also establish a new position, chief financial officer, which would essentially be a title change for what is now called the city administrative officer, the commission recommended.

California The panel will also look at the city’s handling of development, the process of filling vacant council seats and the procedure for censuring officials.By April 2, the commission, which has been meeting since last July, must send all its recommendations to the City Council on changes to the city’s governing charter.The council will then vote on which changes will go before city voters as ballot measures in November.

Thursday’s meeting was packed with supporters of City Controller Kenneth Mejia, who feared that the commission would gut his office’s watchdog role.Among the CFO’s duties would be preparing the city budget, advising the mayor on fiscal policy and producing revenue forecasts — duties currently under the CAO.Tim Riley, owner of Heavy Water Coffee Shop...