Brief

Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion to amend Los Angeles City Charter Section 581, which governs the Board of Public Works. The amendment would change the board's membership structure ahead of a voter referendum planned for November 2026. The motion is currently pending in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which continued the item in mid-May without scheduling a further hearing date.

Full summary

This motion, introduced by Councilmember Tim McOsker and seconded by Bob Blumenfield, asks the City Attorney and Chief Legislative Analyst to draft ballot measure language amending Charter Section 581, which governs the Board of Public Works. The specific change would delete the existing requirement that board members "shall devote their entire time to the duties of office" — effectively removing the full-time service mandate — while also striking the words "the board" from a subsequent clause, so that the provision would read that members "subject to the Charter and applicable ordinances and law, shall have the power and duty to" carry out their functions. In practical terms, removing the full-time requirement could allow the board's appointed members to hold other employment or outside roles, potentially broadening the pool of eligible appointees. Because this is a City Charter amendment, it cannot be enacted by the Council alone — it must go before voters. The motion directs the City Attorney to prepare all documents necessary to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot. Clearing that deadline will require the Council to act well before summer to allow time for City Charter review processes and ballot language preparation. The motion was referred to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on May 1, 2026. The committee briefly scheduled it for a May 14 hearing but then continued the item to a date to be determined, meaning no follow-up hearing has yet been set. The file does not expire until May 2028, but if the Council intends to reach voters in November 2026, the committee will need to move the item forward in the coming weeks.

Activity (3)

• 2026-05-14 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee continued item to date to be determined.
• 2026-05-13 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 14, 2026.
• 2026-05-01 Motion referred to Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

Documents (2)

• 2026-05-14 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-05-01 Motion · motion