Councilman Urges Creation of Citizens Panel

Responding to requests from reform advocates in the San Fernando Valley, a Los Angeles city councilman suggested Tuesday creating a citizens panel with the authority to put government reform ideas directly on the ballot.

The proposal by Mike Feuer is in response to complaints by Valley reform leaders who worry that city lawmakers are unwilling to adopt major revisions to the city’s 71-year-old charter.

It was also the latest chapter in the increasingly controversial debate over how to reform local government against the backdrop of a Valley secession movement.

In a motion supported by Council President John Ferraro, Feuer instructed the city attorney’s office to outline how to create a citizens’ panel with the power to put reform measures directly on the ballot.

The entire council will consider the motion in two weeks.

The reaction to the motion was mixed, with some Valley leaders calling it a positive step and others describing it as veiled attempt to get control of the reform movement.

“It’s certainly a positive step in the right direction,” said David Fleming, a Valley business leader and head of the city’s Fire Commission.

In June, Feuer teamed with Fleming to call for the formation of an independent citizens panel to draft charter-reform measures. Under the plan, elected officials would appoint 24 panel members and the council would have the power to revise, reject or place the panel’s recommendations directly on the ballot.

But last week, Fleming broke ranks with Feuer, saying he did not trust the council to put ideas from a citizens panel directly on the ballot without first making major revisions.

Instead, he and dozens of other Valley leaders vowed to launch a drive to collect more than 350,000 signatures on a petition, asking voters to approve formation of a citizens panel with the power to place reform measures directly on the ballot.

But Feuer said his motion would speed the process by avoiding the need to collect the 350,000 signatures.

He also rejected suggestions that his motion is simply an effort to regain control over the reform movement.

“It’s about as far from council control as possible,” he said. “The citizens commission would still be independent of the council.”

But Robert Scott, vice chairman of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, is suspicious of Feuer’s motion, saying he would rather work independently of the council.

“Frankly, I’m not in favor of the council getting involved because they will taint the process,” he said.

Although Fleming generally supported Feuer’s motion, he said he and other Valley leaders will move ahead with the petition drive rather than wait to see whether the council will support the motion.

“We are dealing with the most fundamental issue in government, which is control and power,” he said. “I understand that the council has to walk a fine line.”

In response to the motion, a spokeswoman for Mayor Richard Riordan said the mayor “is encouraged that the City Council is listening to the voices of the representatives of the Valley.”

But Noelia Rodriguez said Riordan has not decided whether to support Fleming’s petition drive or Feuer’s motion.

Fleming, however, said he has talked to Riordan and believes the mayor will support the petition drive with funding out of his own pocket.