Costs of Enlarged City Council Ignored, Business Group Argues

As the proposed new city charter nears consideration by the Los Angeles City Council, the San Fernando Valley’s major business group complained Thursday that potential costs are being ignored, contending that the price tag for an expanded City Council alone could reach $8 million.

“We don’t believe that the issue of costs to the taxpayers, if the City Council is expanded, has been addressed,” said Steven M. Lew, chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. “That needs to be addressed.”

VICA is one of several groups to weigh in on the controversial unified proposal, an amalgam of the plans put forth by both the city’s elected and appointed charter reform commissions.

In a two-page letter sent this week to the chairmen of the two commissions, VICA also urged that any redrawing of City Council districts follow natural community boundaries and that the land-use approval process be streamlined.

George David Kieffer, chairman of the appointed commission, said Thursday that the so-called unified charter already is designed to address those concerns. Lew acknowledged that those two points may just be questions of wording that need further clarification, rather than real points of contention.

On the matter of dollars and cents, however, Lew said more attention is in order.

The unified compromise charter, adopted earlier this week by a fragmented elected commission, could expand city government in a number of ways, including proposed neighborhood councils and a City Council that could grow from the current 15 seats to either 21 or 25 members, depending on the outcome of a vote by the public.

“What assurances can VICA offer its members that the many new features of the draft Unified Charter--e.g. neighborhood councils, a neighborhood empowerment commission, . . . multiple planning commissions, etc.-- won’t end up costing more?” asked VICA President Bonny Herman in the letter to the two commission chairs.

“For example, six to 10 new council members could cost $600,000 to $1 million in direct salaries and up to $8 million per year in the aggregate if each new council member receives staff and budgets comparable to what incumbent council members enjoy.”

Kieffer, who said he plans to send a detailed response to VICA, said that overall, city government under the proposed unified charter will be more cost-effective.

“You may spend more in one place, but overall, the charter is going to save money. It is a mistake to take a look at one particular provision without looking at the whole,” he said.

Beyond that, Kieffer said that bringing about charter reform calls for a balance “between providing access to the public--and more access to the Valley in particular, which VICA has called for--and balancing that with the costs.”

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In the letter, VICA also reiterated its opposition to the “living wage” now required by city law for private firms that do business with the city.

Kieffer noted that the charter does not change the way the city now operates, but Lew said VICA does not believe the issue belongs in the charter.

“It can be addressed by ordinance,” Lew said.

VICA has not taken an official position on the proposed unified charter. “We intend to take it up at our board meeting on [February] 18th at the earliest,” he said.