LOS ANGELES : Council Seeks More Power to Fire Top Administrators
The Los Angeles City Council took the first step Wednesday toward placing a measure on the June ballot that would make it easier to fire top city administrators, saying the change would improve employee performance.
The council voted 10-4 to draft a City Charter amendment that would remove Civil Service protection for almost all department heads--meaning they could be disciplined or fired without a cumbersome series of hearings.
Council members said the need for the change was evident during the protracted struggle to remove Police Chief Daryl F. Gates from office. But similar measures have been defeated by voters in the past, following claims that the city’s bureaucracy would become overly politicized.
The wording of the proposed City Charter change must return to the council for a final vote before it can be placed on the ballot.
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