Charter Reform Group Votes to Recommend No Changes to Timing of Mayoral Election

The Charter Reform Task Force unanimously voted to recommend that no change be made to the timing of the Mayoral election.

Currently, the Mayor is elected on the same cycle as Councilmembers from Districts 1, 2, 4, and 6. In order to challenge the Mayor for the gavel in an election, those Councilmembers would have to resign their seats.

Councilmembers living in Districts 3, 5, and 7 are not elected during the same cycle and could run against the Mayor without being forced to resign their seats.

The election cycle creates an unfair advantage for Councilmembers in Districts 3, 5, and 7.

The last two elected mayors previously represented Districts 5 and 7 and did not give up their seats until after they won the election.

The task force is considering several items for City Charter reform including term limits, campaign contributions, the City’s appointment process in the case of a vacancy, and the compensation for the City Council.

The group is nearing the completion of its work and is scheduled to complete a draft report by May 9. The report would be up for final approval on May 23.

The City Council would then decide which items to send to the voters. The City Council is not obligated to accept the recommendations.

The Task Force considered two solutions regarding the timing of the Mayoral election: a six-year term that would allow the Mayor to run at the same time as Councilmembers in Districts 1, 2, 4, 6, and when the gavel comes up for re-election, it would coincide with elections for seats in Districts 3, 5, and 7, bringing parity to the City Council and Mayoral elections.

The other solution would have recommended moving the Mayoral election to its own cycle, during which all Councilmembers would be able to run without giving up seats.

The second alternative would have cost Los Angeles County millions of dollars for primary and runoff elections.

The issue vexed the group, Chair Ken Chawkins told the City Council earlier this year.

“The problem is some of you are on a cycle with the Mayor and some of you are not. The notion of giving somebody who is not on the cycle with the Mayor a free ride without giving up your seat, that’s a tough one.”