City Hall Event to Highlight New Charter

The timing, perhaps, couldn’t be more awkward for today’s second annual City Hall Legislative Day sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The event, in which scores of area business leaders descend on City Hall to discuss local economic issues, comes just two days after voters decided a contentious election battle over revamping the city’s charter.

Now some of the same officials who vehemently opposed the new charter are being called on to talk policy with members of the chamber, a group that strongly endorsed the city’s new procedural blueprint. In fact, the charter, approved Tuesday by six out of 10 voters, and its effect on the local business community are among the event’s key issues for discussion.

“It’ll be interesting to see what people will say,” said Anita Zusman, chamber vice president of legislative affairs. “We trust everyone will realize business has to continue.”

The revised charter, which takes effect next year, strips some oversight powers from the City Council and bestows them on the mayor. The new constitution also stipulates creation of localized planning commissions and neighborhood advisory boards, among other provisions.

Mayor Richard Riordan and council members Michael Feuer and Cindy Miscikowski supported the measure, while Jackie Goldberg, Ruth Galanter, Rita Walters and Hal Bernson opposed it, calling it a power grab by the mayor’s office.

Into that mix today will come more than 200 members of the chamber to meet with Riordan; City Atty. James Hahn, also a charter reform proponent; and nine council members, two of whom publicly favored the new blueprint and four of whom opposed it.

Zusman said her group didn’t consider any potential post-election fallout when it scheduled the event last year. At the time, she said, it wasn’t clear that the charter would be on the June 8 ballot or how city officials would line up on the issue.

If anything, she said, chamber officials hoped setting the event just days after an election would help spark “interesting” discussion.

However, Zusman added that she doesn’t expect bad feelings from the debate to adversely effect the event. Goldberg, Walters and Feuer are scheduled to convene a panel discussion on “The Importance of a Well-Run City Government for a Vibrant Local Economy.” Bernson and Miscikowski are also slated to be on the panel.

“We don’t expect any awkwardness or problems,” Zusman said. “Everybody is professional and adult.”

Laura Esquivel, a staff member in Goldberg’s office, agreed. “They’re grown-ups,” she said. “There never was anything personal. There never is in a political disagreement.”

Participants are also expected to study the city’s recently adopted budget, its proposal to expand Los Angeles International Airport, local redevelopment projects and efforts to minimize red tape at City Hall.