Los Angeles’ Charter Reform Commission on Thursday advanced a series of recommendations aimed at improving government efficiency and rebuilding public trust in City Hall.
The proposals include:
- Expanding the Los Angeles City Council from 15 members to 25
- Implementing ranked-choice voting in municipal elections
- Creating a new position for Chief Financial Officer, who would be responsible for preparing the city’s budget and advising the mayor on fiscal policy
The recommendations were approved on a 9–2 vote.
Supporters of City Controller Kenneth Mejia were concerned that the commission might attempt to weaken the controller’s independence or oversight authority. However, the adopted proposals did not alter the powers of the elected controller.
Earlier in the week, the commission unanimously recommended splitting the current duties of the city attorney into two roles: an appointed city attorney who would handle civil litigation for the city, and an elected prosecutor responsible for misdemeanor filings.
The size of the Los Angeles City Council has remained unchanged since 1925, when the city had fewer than 600,000 residents. Today, Los Angeles is home to nearly 3.9 million people. Commissioners argue that increasing the number of council districts — and reducing their size — would improve representation, accountability, and civic engagement.
Read more about the recommendations at the Los Angeles Times.