Woo Forces Stephenson Into Runoff

Showing their preference for one fresh approach to city government, Los Angeles voters Tuesday approved strict limits on city campaign contributions and, in the hottest city council race, launched challenger Michael Woo into a runoff with incumbent Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson.

However, voters rejected a second proposed Charter amendment to expand the City Council from 15 to 17 districts and returned to office seven of the eight council incumbents running this year.

Approval of the campaign finance measure means that, for the first time in the city’s history, candidates here, like those seeking federal offices, will be bound by limits on the amount of money they can receive from contributors. Candidiates for city-wide offices will be prohibited from taking contributions greater than $1,000. Council candidates will be held to to $500.

“This will change the face of the whole political process in the city of Los Angeles,” said City Councilman Ernani Bernardi, the driving force behind Charter Amendment 1.

The defeat of the city council expansion measure was a blow to supporters, including Mayor Tom Bradley, who said the new districts would have enhanced the chances of Latinos and Asians being elected to the city council.

Opponents of the measure credited its downfall to the prudence of voters who feared that the creation of more council districts would have led to higher taxes.

“People were not willing to gamble with taxpayers’ dollars,” said Paul E. Shay Jr., executive vice presidemnt of the Los Angeles Taxpayers Assn.

Stevenson’s failure to avoid a runoff sets the stage for her second showdown in four years with Woo an aide to State Sen. David Roberti. In 1981, she barely surpassed Woo in primary balloting, then swamped him in the general election.

West San Fernando Valley Councilwoman Joy Picus--besides Stevenson the only incumbent facing tough opposition--declared victory over her five challengers shortly before midnight Tuesday.

“I’m proud of the fact that my grass roots are still there,” Picus said. “Mostly, I’m really glad it’s over.”

In other council races, winning incumbents included Howard Finn, who faced three opponents; Bernardi and Gilbert Lindsay, who were challenged by two each, and Joan Milke Flores, who faced one write-in candidate. Councilmen Marvin Braude and Zev Yaroslavsky were not opposed.

Supporters of the campaign finance “reform” measure said it was needed to curb the spiraling costs of local elections.

The amendment will also prevent stockpiling of funds by politicians by allowing them to keep only $5,000 for future city races.

Opponents charged that the measure, which will take effect July 1, will strengthen the advantage that incumbents already enjoy. Critics also noted that the city attorney has expressed legal reservations about some of the measure’s provisions.

Charter Amendment 2 would have resulted in the first council expansion in 60 years.

Supporters of the measure pushed it as a way to add more minority members to the council, which has had only one Latino member and no Asian-Americans, despite the burgeoning of those ethnic communities.

Opponents claimed that the expansion would not guarantee ethnic representation and would cost too much.

Remaining ballot measures, which contained no arguments in opposition, were also approved. They included Charter Amendments 3, which will revise procedures governing recall of Board of Education members; 4, which will make minor changes in recall procedures for mayor, city attorney, city controller and City Council members, and 5, which will speed verification of signatures on initiative and recall petitions.

Charter Amendment 6 will raise the $500 maximum fine for misdemeanor violations of city laws by tying it to the maximum allowed under state law--currently $1,000.

Charter Amendment 7 will prevent city officials from levying benefit assessment taxes for the Metro Rail subway or other transit needs on residential properties in use or under construction before April 9, 1985.

In the City Council race for the area surrounding Hollywood , Stevenson enjoyed several advantages. As an incumbent, she raised more money--in excess of $300,000--than any of her five opponents and she received more endorsements. She enjoyed the support of a broad range of constituents, from real estate developers and entertainment industry executives to Hollywood merchants, homeowners’ groups and elderly renters.

Woo was able to raise more than $210,000. In addition, he gained several noteworthy endorsements, including those of Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and Secretary of State March Fong Eu.

The race shaped up quickly as a referendum on Stevenson.

The Woo campaign depicted Stevenson as a lightweight who spent time “posing with movie stars,” ignored crucial issues such as police pension reform, and gave the nod to controversial real estate projects after key developers had contributed to her campaign.

Woo’s campaign strove to picture him as a responsible local resident committed to making a better life for his neighbors. A homeowner with a graduate degree in city planning, Woo saw himself as the candidate of the district’s young professional class, whose ranks had been swollen by reapportionment following the last election.

But much of Woo’s campaign literature was directed at the older and poorer segments of the district. The literature contained homespun assurances that Woo would care about bread-and-butter issues, ranging from rent control to neighborhood security to community health services.

In the most active San Fernando Valley council race, Picus had to contend with an assault by five conservative opponents who claimed that she, as an outspoken feminist, was too liberal for a district that has backed conservative causes and candidates from Proposition 13 to President Reagan.