Officials Will Seek Change in Ethics Law : Rules: A group of city employees and commissioners will meet to discuss ways to amend the financial disclosure requirements.

Disturbed that they must disclose new details of their personal finances, a group of Los Angeles city employees and commissioners will meet to discuss how they can change a tough ethics law approved by voters last year.

The city officials may decide to lobby the City Council or file a lawsuit in an attempt to overturn portions of the financial disclosure law, said city Library Commissioner Douglas R. Ring.

Ring, an attorney and lobbyist, said he called the meeting for Saturday at his Century City law office to discuss “options” available to city officials and employees who oppose the law.

“There are only two sets of options that exist, legislative and litigation,” Ring said.

He said a number of officials plan to attend the meeting but declined to say how many.

“From both personal conversations and press reports, it is clear that a number of us find the disclosure requirements both morally and legally repugnant,” Ring wrote, in inviting officials to the meeting. The Times obtained a copy of the invitation.

The campaign disclosure law significantly increased the personal financial information that elected officials and top employees must disclose. The officials now must report the precise value of investments, reveal all real estate holdings and loans, list income earned by their spouses and even report the value of home improvements.

Since the reporting deadline last month for non-elected officials, city workers have complained that the requirements are unclear and overly detailed. Three city commissioners, citing the rules, have resigned.

“The state Constitution protects my privacy,” Ring said. “I’m not entirely sure that the disclosure requirements--with more intense disclosure than what my bank would require for a loan--serve a justifiable government purpose.”

But Ethics Commission members, who were not invited to Ring’s meeting, said those with complaints should have brought them to the commission before trying to change the law.

“It is regrettable,” Commissioner Cynthia Telles said of the meeting. “I think there should be a more open exchange of ideas before it is taken to a different level.”

Those with complaints about the ethics law “haven’t really shared those concerns with us, but we would like to know what they are,” Telles said.

Ethics Commissioner Edwin Guthman said the disclosure law should be altered only if voters want to do so.

Ring said he particularly objects to a requirement that commissioners and others disclose their precise income and the value of their investments.

“Previous disclosure requirements showed (potential) conflicts” of interest, Ring said. “They just didn’t show to the 10th degree what every single thing I own is worth.”

In his report, Ring disclosed income of $350,000 a year from his law practice. He also reported holding an interest, valued at $150,000, in two Marina del Rey apartment complexes. One of his partners in the apartment complexes is state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana).

His wife, Cythia Miscikowski, is an aide to Councilman Marvin Braude and was also required to file a report. In addition to Ring’s income, she reported a salary of $62,000 and rental income of $13,000 from a condominium.

Also contributing to this story was Times staff writer John Chandler.