West LA Times

Recent developments in Los Angeles highlight the city's ongoing challenges, including past scandals and the current homelessness crisis. Voters are now considering various ballot measures and charter amendments aimed at improving governance and transparency.

UCLA organized a panel to discuss these local measures, focusing on Measures A and G, along with Charter Amendments DD, LL, and ER. Gary Segura, a political scientist from UCLA, co-chaired the L.A. Governance Reform Project. He emphasized the need for reforms following revelations of corruption in City Hall.

"I think there was a sense that ethics and governance in Los Angeles had reached a point where there were more embarrassments than the city could reasonably continue to endure," said Segura. He also noted the delayed implementation of an independent redistricting commission for the City Council until after the 2030 census.

Zev Yaroslavsky from UCLA's Los Angeles Initiative highlighted Measure G, which proposes expanding county supervisors from five to nine and creating an elected executive. He pointed out past failures in accountability as reasons for this measure: "There was no risk to us politically... No mayor would have allowed that to go on for 30 years with incompetence."

Urban planning professor Michael Lens discussed voter concerns about previous measures failing to address homelessness effectively. "While the existing 1/4 cent sales tax, Measure H, has funneled billions of dollars into homelessness services and housing, we can’t be sure that Measure A... will solve it either," Lens remarked.

The upcoming vote represents an opportunity for Angelenos to influence their city's future governance and address longstanding issues.