Yes on Prop. 6

Charter Amendment 6 on the April 11 municipal election ballot is designed to streamline the operation of Los Angeles city government by increasing the amount of money the administrative officer can transfer from one account to another within the same department.

Under current charter provisions, the administrative officer can transfer only $5,000 from one account to another. Any amount above that must be approved by both the mayor and City Council. This amendment would increase the amount that could be transferred without special approval to $25,000. In the future the figure would be adjusted annually, based upon inflation as measured by the federal government’s Consumer Price Index.

Proponents of Charter Amendment 6, who include not only city officials but local business and labor leaders as well, point out that $25,000 today is worth about what $5,000 was is 1951, when the current charter provision was drafted. That is a reasonable argument. Charter Amendment 6 would increase the efficiency of city government if only by reducing the paper work required for routine fund transfers. It deserves a Yes vote.