L.A. City Council Approves Transparency Rules for Charter Reform Commission

New ordinance requires disclosure of private talks between commissioners and city officials.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:31pm

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The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve an ordinance that will require members of the city's Charter Reform Commission to disclose any private communications they have with elected officials or their staff. This move aims to boost transparency in the commission's work, which includes considering changes to the size of the City Council and the duties of citywide elected officials.

Why it matters

The new transparency rules are intended to prevent city officials from trying to influence the commission's recommendations behind closed doors. Government watchdogs say this is necessary to ensure the public can trust the outcomes of the charter reform process.

The details

The ordinance, proposed by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, will require the disclosure of 'ex parte' communications between commissioners and elected officials or their staff. This comes after Rodriguez says she faced 'nearly six months of stonewalling' in trying to pass the measure since August. Meanwhile, the Charter Reform Commission also approved its own policy last week to require similar disclosures.

  • The City Council voted to approve the ordinance on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
  • The ordinance is expected to go into effect in about a month.
  • The Charter Reform Commission is scheduled to take up a motion to require disclosure of communications with elected officials' staff at its next meeting on February 7, 2026.

The players

Monica Rodriguez

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who proposed the ordinance requiring disclosure of private communications between the Charter Reform Commission and elected officials.

Carla Fuentes

A member of the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission who pushed for the commission to adopt its own policy requiring disclosure of private conversations with city elected officials.

Bob Blumenfield

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who raised concerns that the new transparency rules could discourage needed engagement between the City Council and the Charter Reform Commission.

Rob Quan

An organizer with the group Unrig LA, which focuses on government oversight and has proposed a total ban on ex parte communications between the Charter Reform Commission and city officials.

Unrig LA

A group of transparency activists that has proposed a total ban on ex parte communication between the Charter Reform Commission and city officials.

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What they’re saying

“While this is an important victory for oversight and transparency, government accountability shouldn't be this hard to secure.”

— Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles City Councilmember (latimes.com)

“If the public is going to trust the outcomes of our charter reform process, it has to be transparent and credible.”

— Carla Fuentes, Los Angeles Charter Reform Commissioner (latimes.com)

“I don't want this message to be that it's somehow bad for council members and mayor and elected officials to be engaging in this process. To the contrary, I think we need to double down our engagement. We need to speak to those commissioners. They need to learn a lot more about how this city really works for this thing to be effective.”

— Bob Blumenfield, Los Angeles City Councilmember (latimes.com)

“If it didn't apply to staff, we would simply be reinforcing the power of the staff, which have from day one been the most problematic aspect of this commission.”

— Rob Quan, Organizer, Unrig LA (latimes.com)

What’s next

The Charter Reform Commission is scheduled to take up the motion to require disclosure of communications with elected officials' staff at its next meeting on February 7, 2026.

The takeaway

The new transparency rules aim to prevent city officials from secretly influencing the Charter Reform Commission's recommendations, which could include major changes to the structure of Los Angeles city government. This reflects a broader push for greater accountability and public trust in the charter reform process.