Laura Chick to Run for City Controller

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick formally announced Thursday that she will run for city controller, saying she has experience at making sure City Hall serves residents efficiently and effectively.

Chick, a resident of Tarzana, was elected to the City Council six years ago and is chairwoman of the council’s Government Efficiency Committee.

“Since I made the decision to run for City Council in 1993, I’ve been motivated to try to make government work better, make sure government has more common sense and find ways to make government serve people more efficiently,” Chick said.

Under a new City Charter approved this year by voters, the city controller takes on a larger role monitoring government operations, including the power to conduct performance audits of government services.

Running for controller in 2001, Chick said, “would give me an opportunity even more than I have as one of 15 council members to focus of government accountability and improve productivity.”

Chick defended the early start on the campaign.

Although she has been in the spotlight on police issues as chairwoman of the council’s Public Safety Committee until this year, Chick acknowledged many residents do not know her yet.

“Because it’s a citywide race and we are a very big city it’s going to take me some time to let the entire city know who I am,” she said, to explain her early filing.

Chick, who will be forced out of her council office by term limits in 2001, is the first announced candidate for city controller. Deputy Mayor Noelia Rodriguez is also seriously considering a run for the office, but has yet to make a decision.