New City Charter Will Take Effect Today

The new City Charter that was approved by voters takes effect today and government leaders said Friday that residents need not fear any disruption in basic city services.

The new charter was approved by voters in June 1999 to make city government more effective and responsive, and city officials have spent the last year drafting and approving the ordinances required to carry out the constitutional overhaul.

“As we begin to implement our new City Charter, the journey toward a government that truly serves the people of Los Angeles is just beginning,” Mayor Richard Riordan said Friday in a statement. “This new constitution will guide our city in the 21st century, making government more flexible, accountable and responsive to the people of Los Angeles.”

Some city officials said there are bound to be disputes and glitches over who has what powers under the new charter.

The mayor issued an executive directive Friday spelling out his new powers and urging bureaucrats with questions about the new charter’s division of responsibilities to contact his office, which will seek guidance from the city attorney’s office.

However, Los Angeles officials said Friday they are ready to switch over to the new charter and do not expect any major problems with basic city services.

“We expect a very smooth transition,” said Terry Munoz, second-in-command for the city administrative officer, now known as the Office of Administrative and Research Services.

Under the new charter, some finance functions will be transferred from Munoz’s department to the new Office of Finance.

“A lot of the changes are administrative,” Munoz said. “The police will still be out there. Fires will still be put out. The Department of Water and Power will still be operating.”

Riordan hopes the new charter will allow the city to provide those services more efficiently. The new charter streamlines and consolidates similar functions and gives the mayor more authority as the city’s chief executive, including greater power to remove department heads.