BALLOT ISSUES WILL AMEND ELEMENTS OF CITY CHARTER.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

With most attention focused on the races for mayor and City Council in the March 8 election, Los Angeles voters also are being asked to make two changes to the City Charter to help hire port police officers and restore a provision deleted in the new charter.

Charter Amendment 1, which requires a simple majority vote, will change the pension system so that port police officers are in the same system as that of the Los Angeles Police Department.

``In order to recruit and retain the most qualified officers, the city must offer a competitive pension plan,'' Councilwoman Janice Hahn said in ballot arguments. ``In these times, with so much attention paid to terrorist threats, we need to fill these jobs to protect us from terrorists.''

The port now has only 56 of the 80 officers it needs, her aides said.

The cost of the program is estimated at $678,000 in the first year and would go up 5 percent a year thereafter. All of that will be paid out of the Port of Los Angeles budget and will not affect the city's general fund, Hahn said.

No ballot arguments have been submitted against either of the city measures on the March 8 ballot.

Charter Amendment 2, which also needs a simple majority, restores a measure that was eliminated in the new City Charter approved by voters in 1999, Councilman Dennis Zine said.

``What this does is allow an officer or firefighter who was retired to come back on active duty, if the department approves it,'' Zine said.

While it is not expected to bring in scores of retired workers, Zine said it could help the LAPD, in particular, in adding staff.

``These are experienced officers who retired and decide they would like to return,'' Zine said. ``They will still have to pass all the requirements, but they will need less training before we can put them on duty.''

Under the proposal, the individual's pension payments would be put on hold and they would accrue benefits based on the extra years of service, Zine said.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

MARCH 8 VOTE

Tuesday is the deadline to register to vote in the March 8 municipal elections.

The races include mayor of Los Angeles and city council members in Los Angeles, Calabasas and San Fernando. Also on the ballot will be Los Angeles school board seats and trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District.

Citizens can register or re-register by mail using forms available at post offices, libraries, fire stations, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, city halls and many county offices. For information, call [phone] or (800) 481-VOTE.

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