Back to ballot

Measure LA: City budget and contracts

City Infrastructure, Budget, Finance, and Contracting

City Charter Amendment. A change to the Los Angeles City Charter, the city's basic set of rules.

In plain English

Measure LA would change the City Charter to set a two-year budget cycle and a capital infrastructure plan. The Director of Public Works would get more powers, including the power to take private property for public use (eminent domain) with Council approval. The Board of Public Works would lose some duties to the Director but keep others. The Council could change or end the Board by passing a city law. The City could mortgage City-owned property and run purely commercial or industrial businesses. Bidding rules would exempt software services or maintenance contracts from the software maker. The City could exempt certain critical infrastructure contracts by passing a city law. The City estimates $4 million to $6 million in one-time costs from the City's main budget (the General Fund) for the budget and plan. The financial impacts of the contracting, mortgage, and business changes cannot be estimated now.

A YES VOTE MEANS

You want the Charter to be amended to make the changes described above regarding City infrastructure, budget, finance, and contracting.

A NO VOTE MEANS

You do not want the Charter to be amended to make the changes described above regarding City infrastructure, budget, finance, and contracting.

Official text in English. Get official election materials in Spanish from LA County.

Source: official voter guide

Official ballot label

The exact words on your ballot. Tap to read.
CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, BUDGET, FINANCE, AND CONTRACTING. CHARTER AMENDMENT LA. Shall the City Charter be amended to: establish a capital infrastructure plan and two-year budget cycle for the City; increase the authority of the Director of Public Works and allow for the elimination of or changes to the Board of Public Works; remove restrictions prohibiting the City from engaging in business enterprises and mortgaging City-owned property; and change certain contracting rules and procedures?
Source: LA County Registrar, measures on the ballot

Official text in English. Get official election materials in Spanish from LA County.

Official arguments

Arguments written by supporters and opponents and printed in the official voter pamphlet. The full text is only in the PDF.

Argument for

Signed by:

  • Kenneth Mejia, Controller, City of Los Angeles
  • Katy Yaroslavsky, LA City Councilmember, City of Los Angeles
  • Bob Blumenfield, LA City Councilmember, City of Los Angeles
  • Jessica Meaney, Executive Director, Investing in Place
  • Ron Galperin, Former City Controller, City of Los Angeles
  • David Levitus, CEO, LA Forward
  • Michael Schneider, CEO, Streets For All

Argument against

Signed by:

  • Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles City Councilwoman, District 7, City of Los Angeles

The City Clerk notes that titles are for identification only and do not mean the person signed for the organization.

Read the full arguments (PDF)

Where groups stand

Every group on our list, by category. Each position links to the group's own published guide.

Label definitions Quotes are each group's own words, copied exactly.

Political parties

10 groups

State and county parties are separate groups and can take different positions.

News outlets

5 groups

These are the only news outlets we found with published endorsements for this election. Suggest another.

Labor

9 groups

Business

3 groups

Civic and good government

1 group

Issue and advocacy groups

3 groups

About the summary

Summary drafted with AI from the official analysis and checked against it by automated review. Read the official analysis (PDF)

Back to the summary

Submit a suggestion

Suggest a group to add, a measure we are missing, or a correction. We read every one.

What are you suggesting?