The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved a motion calling for a proposed ordinance that would require disclosure of all private communications between Charter Reform Commissioners and elected officials.
In a 12-0 vote, the City Council approved the motion and requested the city attorney’s office to draft an ordinance to ensure compliance with similar ex parte communications outlined in Los Angeles Charter Code Section 2.22. The section describes a similar policy for the city’s redistricting commission.
The proposed ordinance would enforce transparency regarding private discussions between elected officials or their staff and members of the commission outside of public meetings.
Council members advanced the motion with an amendment clarifying that any violation of the proposed ordinance would be pursued civilly. The proposed ordinance is expected to be drafted and return to council for a vote by Jan. 27.
“The transparency of the city’s charter reform process is essential to maintaining public trust in the structure and functions of the city of Los Angeles government. To help maintain this trust and ensure the integrity of the Charter Reform Commission’s deliberations, the city should adopt guardrails that ensure the commissioners are protected from undue influence,” according to the motion.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez told Los Angeles Daily News that she was concerned that “key ideas are being developed through informal, undisclosed conversations, limiting meaningful public input before the commission’s work reaches the City Council.”
The commission was formed in 2024 in response to a series of City Hall scandals.
Recommendations from the commission will be submitted to the City Council for possible inclusion on the November 2026 ballot.