Brief

Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion to amend Charter Section 581, which governs the composition and structure of the Board of Public Works. The motion proposes a charter amendment for placement on the November 2026 ballot. The file is currently pending in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which continued review in mid-June with no scheduled hearing date.

Full summary

This motion, introduced by Councilmember Tim McOsker and seconded by Bob Blumenfield on May 1, 2026, proposes a specific and narrow change to Los Angeles Charter Section 581: deleting the sentence requiring that members of the Board of Public Works devote their entire time to the duties of the office. The remaining text of the section, which establishes the board's powers and duties subject to the Charter and applicable ordinances, would be retained. Removing the full-time devotion requirement would allow Board of Public Works members to hold other positions or pursue outside employment, a significant shift in how members of this mayoral-appointed body are expected to serve. The motion directs the City Attorney, with assistance from the Chief Legislative Analyst, to prepare all documents necessary to place this charter amendment before voters on the November 2026 ballot. Because changes to the City Charter require voter ratification, Council approval alone is not sufficient; the measure must be certified for the ballot and approved by a majority of Los Angeles voters to take effect. The file was referred to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on May 1, 2026. The committee scheduled and continued the item multiple times through May and June without completing its review. On June 15, 2026, the committee again continued the item to a date to be determined. The measure has not advanced to a full Council vote, and with the November 2026 ballot deadline approaching, the window for completing committee review, securing Council approval, and meeting election certification deadlines is narrowing.

Activity (7)

• 2026-06-15 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee continued item to date to be determined.
• 2026-06-12 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 15, 2026.
• 2026-06-12 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee continued item to June 15, 2026 .
• 2026-06-11 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 12, 2026.
• 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 (4)

• 2026-06-15 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-06-12 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-05-14 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-05-01 Motion · motion