Your guide to Charter Amendment HH: Clarifying L.A. city business

The Los Angeles City Charter spells out the powers and duties of city departments, offices and elected officials, among other things. Voters have approved 29 changes to the charter since 2000, the last time a new charter went into effect. Just five ballot measures have failed to pass, according to city officials.

This year, city officials have put forward two grab-bag measures to amend the charter: Amendment HH and City Charter Amendment II.

Amendment HH proposes changes intended to strengthen and update the city’s governance powers, including clarifying the roles of elected officials and commissioners. The measure was compiled from suggestions drawn from across city departments. It needs a simple majority of votes to pass.

Among other things, Amendment HH would clarify that the city controller can conduct financial audits and obtain access to the records and personnel of a city contractor and any other entity that receives or manages city funds.

It would expand the subpoena powers of the city attorney to include the authority to subpoena witnesses and administer oaths and affirmations. The city attorney already has subpoena powers under state law, but the power to issue subpoenas would provide the office the same civil investigative powers for violations of municipal law.

In another change to the charter, the measure would require that at least two members of the Board of Harbor Commissioners reside within the Harbor area.

The proposed changes in Charter Amendment HH and Charter Amendment II were submitted by city departments and elected officials earlier this year as part of the City Council’s effort to enact charter reform. That effort includes appointing a charter reform commission to consider an array of sweeping proposals, such as expanding the size of the 15-member council, with the goal of putting those big-ticket items on the 2026 ballot.

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Your guide to Charter Amendment II: Updating Los Angeles city administrative procedures

From parks to concessions, the ballot measure Amendment II would allow for changes in how the city operates.

Oct. 3, 2024

Rob Quan, an organizer with the good government group Unrig L.A., told The Times that he views Amendment HH and Amendment II as doing “clean-up and maintenance” of the city charter. He believes that the council’s goal with these two ballot measures is to ease the work of the charter reform commission by asking voters to approve these items now.

Some of the proposed changes under Measure HH have been suggested for years. For instance, San Pedro and Wilmington residents have long argued that Board of Harbor Commissioners should have appointees who live in the neighborhood because of local complaints about truck traffic and diesel emissions produced by port operations.

City Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Tim McOsker signed the ballot argument in favor of Measure HH. The argument states that the changes would make the city more “responsible, accountable, and transparent” and close ethical loopholes.

The ballot argument also states that having local representation on the Board of Harbor Commissioners would “advance equity and fairness by elevating concerns and experiences of Harbor-area residents, businesses and workers.”

No opponents submitted arguments.