LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Los Angeles City Charter tit. I, art. II, pt. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

in effect

Los Angeles City Charter § 240 Legislative Power.

Sec. 240. Legislative Power. All legislative power of the City except as otherwise provided in the Charter is vested in the Council and shall be exercised by ordinance, subject to the power of veto or approval by the Mayor as set forth in the Charter. Other action of the Council may be by order or resolution, not inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities set forth in the Charter or ordinance. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Charter, the Council shall have full power to pass ordinances upon any subject of municipal concern.

Los Angeles City Charter § 241 Council Size.

Sec. 241. Council Size. The Council shall consist of 15 members, elected by districts as provided elsewhere in the Charter.

Los Angeles City Charter § 242 Conduct of Business.

Sec. 242. Conduct of Business. The Council shall be the sole judge of the election and qualification of its members. Meetings and records of the proceedings of the Council and of the committees of the Council shall be open to the public, except that closed sessions may be held as permitted by law. The Council shall have the exclusive power to organize its business, prescribe the rules of its proceedings and preserve order at its meetings, subject to the following: (a) The Council shall hold regular meetings at least three days each week. Meetings may be held in City Hall or elsewhere in the City. By resolution, the Council may establish periods during which the Council or its committees will be in recess. The Council and its committees may also each hold special meetings with proper notice. (b) The Council, by ordinance or resolution, shall establish a sufficient number of committees to enable it to carry out its duties. The duty of the Council and its committees is to become fully informed of the business of the City so as to oversee all the functions of the City government, and to report to the Council any information or recommendations necessary to enable the Council to properly legislate. Committees shall have the power of investigation, but shall have no administrative control over the various functions of the City government. The administration of the City government shall be vested in the officials designated in the Charter to perform those functions. The President of the Council shall appoint the members and the chair of the committees and each Council member shall be appointed to at least one committee.

Los Angeles City Charter § 243 President and President Pro Tempore.

Sec. 243. President and President Pro Tempore. (a) The Council shall elect one of its members as presiding officer, who shall be called the President of the Council. In case of any vacancy in the office of Mayor pending appointment and qualification of a successor, or in case of unavailability due to sickness, absence from the state, or disability of the Mayor, the President of the Council shall act as Mayor of the City. The President of the Council, while acting as Mayor, shall not lose his or her rights as a member of the Council. (b) The Council shall elect one of its members “President Pro Tempore” who shall act as presiding officer in the absence of the President of the Council and, in case of vacancy in the office of President of the Council, or in the case of unavailability due to sickness, absence from the state or disability of the President of the Council, shall exercise the powers and duties of the President of the Council under the provisions of this section. (c) The Council shall provide by ordinance for the succession from among its members to the powers and duties of the President Pro Tempore in case of unavailability due to sickness, absence from the state or disability of the President Pro Tempore, or in the case of a vacancy in that office.

Los Angeles City Charter § 244 Quorum and Vote Necessary to Take Action.

Sec. 244. Quorum and Vote Necessary to Take Action. Two-thirds of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Nothing in the Charter shall prevent a smaller number from transacting business by a majority vote of members present to the extent necessary to fill vacancies in the membership of the Council in the manner provided in Article IV, where no quorum can be assembled except by filling the vacancies. Except as otherwise provided in the Charter, action by the Council shall be taken by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Council; provided, however, that if a majority of the entire membership of the Council votes against a proposed action requiring approval or disapproval, that vote shall constitute Council’s disapproval without requiring a separate vote to disapprove. Whenever in the Charter a certain proportion of the Council is required for the performance of any act, it shall mean that proportion of the entire membership of the Council. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Charter Amendment HH, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 245 City Council Veto of Board Actions.

Sec. 245. City Council Veto of Board Actions. Actions of boards of commissioners shall become final at the expiration of the next five meeting days of the Council during which the Council has convened in regular session, unless the Council acts within that time by two-thirds vote to bring the action before it or to waive review of the action, except that as to any action of the Board of Police Commissioners regarding the removal of the Chief of Police, the time period within which the Council may act before the action of the Board shall become final shall be ten meeting days during which the Council has convened in regular session. (a) Action by Council. If the Council timely asserts jurisdiction over the action, the Council may, by two-thirds vote, veto the action of the board within 21 calendar days of voting to bring the matter before it, or the action of the board shall become final. Except as provided in subsection (e), the Council may not amend, or take any other action with respect to the board’s action. (b) Waiver. The Council may, by ordinance, waive review of classes or categories of actions, or, by resolution, waive review of an individual anticipated action of a board. The Council may also, by resolution, waive review of a board action after the board has acted. Actions for which review has been waived are final upon the waiver, or action of the board, as applicable. (c) Effect of Veto. An action vetoed by the Council shall be remanded to the originating board, which board shall have the authority it originally held to take action on the matter. (d) Exempt Actions. The following actions are exempt from Council review under this section: (1) actions of the Ethics Commission; (2) actions of the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners; (3) actions of the Board of Administration for Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System; (4) actions of the Board of Administration of Water and Power Employees Retirement Plan; (5) quasi-judicial personnel decisions of the Board of Civil Service Commissioners; (6) actions of a board organized under authority of the Meyers-Milias Brown Act for administration of employer-employee relations; (7) individual personnel decisions of boards of commissioners other than the Board of Police Commissioners; and (8) actions which are subject to appeal or review by the Council pursuant to other provisions of the Charter, ordinance or other applicable law. (9) actions of the Independent Redistricting Commission. (e) Exceptions for Actions of City Planning Commission and Area Planning Commissions. The Council shall not be limited to veto of actions of the City Planning Commission or Area Planning Commissions, but, subject to the time limits and other limitations of this section, after voting to bring the matter before it, shall have the same authority to act on a matter as that originally held by the City Planning Commission or Area Planning Commission. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Subsec. (d)(9) added, Charter Amendment DD, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 246 Provision of Quarters; Creation of Positions.

Sec. 246. Provision of Quarters; Creation of Positions. Except as to those departments given control of their own revenues or funds, the Council shall provide suitable quarters, equipment and supplies for the various departments and offices of the City government. It shall create the necessary positions in addition to those created by the Charter in those departments and offices, authorize the necessary deputies, assistants and employees, and provide the necessary funds for carrying on the work of the departments and offices. Upon request from any department given control of its own revenues or funds, the Council may assist the department in the performance of its functions with appropriations of money or otherwise.

Los Angeles City Charter § 247 Public Improvements.

Sec. 247. Public Improvements. The City shall have power to provide for public improvements by contract or by the direct employment of labor and purchase of materials. The Council may cause the costs and expenses of the improvements, including any damages to private property caused thereby, to be paid from the General Fund or a special fund of the City, or may make those costs and expenses, including incidental expenses and damages, a lien upon the abutting property, or upon property in districts according to benefits. The Council may establish, by ordinance, an assessment process, the priority of the lien and the method for enforcement, and may levy and collect or cause to be levied and collected assessments upon property according to frontage or upon property in districts according to benefits, to pay the cost of the improvements. The City may cause to be issued and sold bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness, bearing interest, extending over a period not exceeding such time as permitted by state law, to represent any or all the assessments in accordance with requirements and procedures to be established by ordinance.

Los Angeles City Charter § 248 Issuance of Housing Revenue Bonds.

Sec. 248. Issuance of Housing Revenue Bonds. In accordance with a procedure established by ordinance, the Council may issue or authorize the issuance of revenue bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness from time to time, the proceeds of which may be used for the purpose of acquiring, developing, constructing and rehabilitating, and for the purpose of making loans for the financing or refinancing of the acquisition, development, construction and rehabilitation of, single family and multi-family residential housing developments, including low and moderate-income housing developments and market rate housing developments. The City may cooperate with and receive aid from other agencies of government in accomplishing the purposes described in this section, but shall make no contributions to the payment of interest or principal due on any of these revenue bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, from taxes imposed by the City.

Los Angeles City Charter § 249 Ordinances - Enacting Clause.

Sec. 249. Ordinances - Enacting Clause. The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be substantially as follows: “The People of the City of Los Angeles do ordain as follows:”

Los Angeles City Charter § 250 Procedure for Adoption of Ordinances.

Sec. 250. Procedure for Adoption of Ordinances. (a) Introduction and Passage. No ordinance shall be passed finally on the day it is introduced, but it shall be held over for one week, unless approved by unanimous vote of all the members of the Council present, provided there is not less than three-fourths of all the members present. (b) Presentation to Mayor. Every ordinance passed by the Council shall, before it becomes effective, be signed by the City Clerk or other person authorized by the Council, and be presented to the Mayor for approval and signature. If the Mayor does not approve the ordinance, the Mayor shall endorse on it the date of its presentation to him or her, and return it to the City Clerk with a written statement of objections to the ordinance. The City Clerk shall endorse on the ordinance the date of its return to him or her. If the Mayor does not approve or veto an ordinance in accordance with this section within ten days after its presentation to him or her, the ordinance shall be as effective as if signed by the Mayor. (c) Override by Council. The City Clerk shall present the ordinance, with the objections of the Mayor, at the first Council meeting after the Clerk has received the Mayor’s objections. The Council may pass any ordinance over the veto of the Mayor within 45 days after the objections of the Mayor are presented to the Council, by two-thirds vote of the Council or by three-fourths vote where two-thirds vote or more was required for passage of the original ordinance.

Los Angeles City Charter § 251 Publication or Posting of Ordinances.

Sec. 251. Publication or Posting of Ordinances. All ordinances finally adopted under the provisions of the Charter shall be published in the English language at least once in some daily newspaper circulated in the City of Los Angeles, or publicized by some other method authorized by ordinance. No ordinance shall be valid or take effect until that publication or satisfaction of other method authorized by ordinance. As used in the Charter, publication of an ordinance shall mean compliance with this section.

Los Angeles City Charter § 252 Effective Date of Ordinances, Orders and Resolutions.

Sec. 252. Effective Date of Ordinances, Orders and Resolutions. Orders and resolutions shall take effect upon their passage unless requiring Mayoral approval, in which case they shall take effect upon Mayoral approval or override of Mayoral veto. An ordinance shall go into effect 31 days from its publication, except for urgency ordinances adopted pursuant to Section 253, and except for the following ordinances, which shall take effect upon their publication: (a) an ordinance ordering, or otherwise relating to an election; (b) an ordinance ordering or otherwise relating to the levying or collection of the annual City taxes; (c) an ordinance which provides for or changes any of the following with respect to streets, boulevards, alleys, courts or other public places: name, curb lines, grade, improvement, opening, widening, straightening or extension; (d) an ordinance relating to the construction of sewers or storm drains; (e) an ordinance relating to the bringing or conduct of suits or actions or the levying or collection of local assessments upon private property for any of the purposes referenced in subsections (c) and (d); (f) an ordinance relating to the condemnation of lands for parks, boulevards or playgrounds under laws or ordinances providing for the payment of the expense thereof by local assessment upon private property; (g) an ordinance relating to creating classes of positions, setting salaries, authorizing the employment of personnel or prescribing conditions of employment; (h) an ordinance establishing pension or retirement benefits in accordance with Article XI of the Charter; (i) an ordinance making or authorizing any contract, other than an ordinance granting any franchise, right or privilege; and (j) any ordinance making or authorizing the sale or issuance of bonds of the City or of any district within the City. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Subsec. (h) deleted and Subsecs. (i), (j), and (k) renumbered, Charter Amendment DD, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 253 Urgency Ordinances.

Sec. 253. Urgency Ordinances. The Council may adopt an urgency ordinance that shall take effect upon its publication. An urgency ordinance may only be adopted if required for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety. Any urgency ordinance shall contain a specific statement showing its urgency, and must be passed by a three-fourths vote of the Council. No grant of any franchise, right or privilege shall ever be construed to be an urgency measure.

Los Angeles City Charter § 254 Legislation Pending Before State and Federal Government.

Sec. 254. Legislation Pending Before State and Federal Government. The Council, by resolution, may establish the official position of the City with respect to legislation proposed to or pending before the state or federal government. The resolution shall be subject to veto by the Mayor, and override of the Mayor’s veto by a two-thirds vote of the Council. The Council, by ordinance, shall adopt procedures to implement the provisions of this section, which procedures shall set the time periods for Council and Mayoral action.

Source: City of Los Angeles, Charter and Codes (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/laac/0-0-0-627Fetched: 10/24/2026