Staff Reports
The Los Angeles City Council just voted to ask voters whether the Council should be allowed to meet less often — and yes, keep the same pay. In a 12–0 move, members directed the City Attorney to draft ballot language and the City Clerk to prepare voter materials for the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. That action could erase the City Charter rule that now requires the Council to meet at least three days each week.
What the Council actually did
The Council’s motion, lodged in the City Clerk file package (CF26-1100-S13), asks for several charter changes to go before Los Angeles voters. One item would remove or change the Charter’s Section 242 line that requires “regular meetings at least three days each week,” making it possible for the full Council to hold only one regular meeting day. The 12–0 vote was a directive to draft precise ballot wording, not the final change. But it is the clear opening move toward putting a meeting‑frequency rollback before voters this November.
How supporters sell it
Council leaders say the Charter is old and needs modernizing. Council President Marqueece Harris‑Dawson noted the last major charter reform was decades ago. Supporters — including Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky, Tim McOsker and Eunisses Hernández, and author Councilmember Hugo Soto‑Martínez on related items — argue committees, technology and remote work reduce the need for three full‑council days. The pitch: more flexibility, fewer wasted hours, and a “21st century” city council that works smarter, not harder.
Why voters should be suspicious
Let’s be blunt: this smells like more pay for less public scrutiny. Los Angeles councilmembers earn base pay in the neighborhood of $245,000 a year. Cutting mandatory full‑council meeting days while keeping that pay invites questions about accountability. Fewer full meetings can limit public comment, shrink media attention and shift real decision‑making into committees or back‑room deals. That is not modernization. That is moving the work out of public view.
What comes next — and what voters need to watch
Next step: the City Attorney will craft the ballot text and the City Clerk will put an impartial summary into the voter pamphlet for the Nov. 3, 2026 election. The final wording matters. Voters should watch whether this item is bundled with other charter changes or stands alone. Bundling can hide the shrinking of public meetings inside a bigger, confusing package. If you care about open government, ask for plain language on the ballot, demand a promise that compensation stays tied to public access, and remember — a council that meets less is a council that answers less.
