CANDIDATES PUSH HARD ON EVE OF CITY ELECTION : CHARTER REFORM.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

In a final flurry of campaigning, candidates made last-minute appeals Monday for voter support in today's Los Angeles city elections.

Voters go to the polls to decide whether to approve a far-reaching charter reform initiative, and elect the mayor, city attorney and a majority of the City Council.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today for the city's 1.3 million voters who also will decide races for city controller, the board of education and community college district, as well as nine ballot measures.

While there has been no official prediction of turnout, most observers expect it to be in the 30 percent range.

Mayor Richard Riordan campaigned throughout the city Monday, starting in San Pedro then moving to the Magic Johnson Theaters in the Crenshaw district where he picked up the support of two dozen African-American leaders in his bid for a second term.

Challenger state Sen. Tom Hayden, with his wife, Barbara Williams, and their two dogs made a number of appearances around the city, including the trip to the Los Angeles River where he led an excursion to emphasize the need to improve the environment.

Hayden, who has had substantially less funding than the mayor, has run a campaign of almost daily news conferences, but he muted his criticism of the Riordan on Monday, saying only that he remained hopeful he could force Riordan into a June 3 runoff.

``We're in the eighth inning,'' Hayden said. ``Everywhere I go, people tell me they wished there had been more discussion. I tell them to vote for anyone but Riordan and maybe we can get that in a runoff.''

Riordan continued with the pro-business, anti-crime themes that he has hit throughout the campaign.

``What we need to do is see that every part of Los Angeles is safe, with a government friendlier to business, with improved neighborhoods and seeing every child has a quality education,'' Riordan said.

Other hotly contested races this year are for city attorney where Encino attorney and Riordan ally Ted Stein has mounted a well-funded campaign against 16-year incumbent James Hahn, and the 11th Council District race for the seat being vacated Marvin Braude, who is retiring after 32 years in office.

Drawing much of the attention in this election season has been Proposition 8 that would create an independent 15-member Charter Reform Commission to revise the 72-year-old document governing how the city operates. There are 51 candidates running in council districts for the right to serve on the unpaid board.

Valley Leaders for Charter Reform, Riordan, the Neighborhood Cause Coalition and the city employees unions all have endorsed slates of commission candidates.

Political analysts have said the large field for the commission indicates many candidates are positioning themselves to run for City Council in four years when term limits force out many incumbents.

Voters will cast ballots for or against Prop. 8, and for charter commission candidates, who will be elected by council district if the charter reform initiative receives a majority.

School bonds

Also subject to an aggressive campaign has been the effort behind Proposition BB, the $2.4 billion school bond package that needs a two-thirds vote to take effect. School officials say the money is sorely needed to renovate deteriorating public schools.

A similar measure narrowly lost in November, but supporters have launched a more aggressive campaign this time. They said they hope that a guarantee that work will be performed under the authority of an oversight committee will persuade voters to support the proposal.

A group of San Fernando Valley homeowner leaders, championed by Assemblyman Tom McClintock, R-Granada Hills, came out against the measure, saying it would cost too much and hinder school district breakup efforts.

Council races

In the hotly contested 11th Council District - the only council race in which there is no incumbent - the leading candidates put in a hard day of campaigning Monday.

Former council aide Cindy Miscikowski walked precincts in Van Nuys and former Riordan aide Georgia Mercer phoned as many voters as possible. But both campaigns said they expect there to be a runoff election in June because of the aggressive campaign run by businessman Mark Isler, who has received some key endorsements.

The best funded campaigns have been waged by Miscikowski, who worked for Braude for years as planning deputy and then chief of staff, and Mercer, the mayor's former aide in the West Valley. Both were considered locked in a tight contest, with Isler playing the spoiler.

The Van Nuys businessman has been endorsed by Attorney General Dan Lungren, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and the California Republican Party. A fourth candidate in that race is administrator Doug Friedman.

In other City Council races, three incumbents - Richard Alarcon, Mike Feuer and Jackie Goldberg - are unopposed.

Councilwoman Laura Chick is facing businessman Mort Diamond, while Councilwoman Rita Walters is being challenged by police officer Pete Torres, who has picked up the endorsement of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

Councilman Rudy Svorinich is facing a challenge from two harbor area activists who have joined forces to try to put Svorinich into a runoff. Councilman Mike Hernandez is being challenged by Rose Marie Lopez who has been endorsed by Supervisor Gloria Molina.

City Controller Rick Tuttle is facing a light challenge from businessman Michael Margolin in his bid for a fourth term.

School races

At the Los Angeles Board of Education, three seats are up for election, but with incumbent Vickie Castro unopposed.

Board member Julie Korenstein, is facing a challenge from three candidates, Jeff Tung, Billy Baurman and Ethel Barnes.

In the open seat created with the retirement of Mark Slavkin, the field includes Valerie Fields, Kenneth J. Sackman, Debra Greenfield and Diana Dixon-Davis.

Also on Tuesday's ballot are three seats for the Community College Board of Trustees.

In District 2, incumbent Elizabeth Garfield is facing challenges from Charles Bergson and Andrew Kim.

In the open District 4 seat, candidates include Richard Yanez, Kelly Candaele, Patrick Prinser, Marilyn Grunwald and Ross Moen.

In District 6, incumbent Althea Baker has three challengers. They are Stephen Brecht, Eli Green and Nancy Pearlman.

City voters also will be asked to decide seven other proposals.

Proposition 6 has attracted some attention because it would raise a cap on elected city officials' officeholder accounts that was imposed in November by voters who approved campaign finance reform.

The council wants to restore the $75,000 cap that was in place before November's election. The current cap is $10,000.