Time to Dust Off City Charter

Ten years after two commissions overhauled the city's charter, Los Angeles City Council members Wednesday proposed revisiting the issue to determine whether further reforms are needed.

From 1997 to 1999, members of an appointed commission and an elected panel met with community members to update the city charter for the first time in 74 years.

One question that was unanswered during the reform process a decade ago was whether to change the size of the 15-member Los Angeles City Council. In the last year, it also became apparent the charter was unclear on whether the city controller has the authority to complete performance audits on programs housed under the authority of an elected official.

The motion introduced by council members Jose Huizar, Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn asks for a follow-up report on the city charter to determine what changes were made and whether further reforms are needed.