Council Delay Puts Nominee on Ethics Panel

Los Angeles Rabbi Uri D. Herscher, the president of the Skirball Cultural Center, has been placed on the city’s Ethics Commission by default, although he has not completed all the paperwork required for the position, officials said Thursday.

Herscher, who has yet to finish filling out his economic disclosure forms, was inadvertently granted a five-year term on the volunteer commission after the City Council delayed acting on his nomination earlier this month. Council members did not realize at the time that Herscher -- who had been nominated by City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo -- would automatically be confirmed as a commissioner unless they voted against his appointment by Oct. 18.

“Although the council was entirely correct in not wanting to act on the nomination without being able to judge whether a conflict situation might arise, unfortunately, the [City] Charter provides that, if the council does not disapprove a commission nomination within 45 days after it is submitted, the nominee is automatically confirmed,” Delgadillo wrote to lawmakers.

Herscher said in an interview Thursday that traveling and procrastination had delayed his work on the forms.

Council members -- who were expected to easily confirm Herscher, once his background report was completed -- said they were not concerned about the default appointment.