CHARTER PANEL OPPOSES THIRD TERMS AT CITY HALL.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Unwilling to overturn the will of the voters, the elected Charter Reform Commission opposed a proposal Tuesday to add a four-year term to the two-term limit for the Los Angeles mayor and City Council members.

A motion to recommend allowing a third term failed on a 4-6 vote. The commission deadlocked, however, on keeping the two-term limit in the charter.

Commission Chairman Erwin Chemerinsky said the panel will have to revisit the issue. A continuing deadlock could lead to no term limits in the charter.

Commissioner Janice Hahn opposed asking Los Angeles voters to reconsider their 1993 approval of a ballot measure limiting city elected officials to two four-year terms.

``I just think that would be one issue that voters would be so angry with us (about). The voters so overwhelmingly voted for two terms just a few years ago,'' Hahn said.

Some commissioners said limiting city elected officials to two years makes them less accountable because they become lame ducks after the first term.

``They might perform better if they are looking forward to three terms when they come into office,'' said Commissioner Bennett Kayser.

Hahn said voters might be suspicious of the commission's motives if it endorsed such a proposal because several commissioners are considering running for the City Council.

The commission recommended making it easier to recall elected officials from office.

In a vote, the commissioners called for reducing the number of signatures needed from registered voters to get a recall measure onto the ballot. The number would be reduced from 15 percent of all registered voters to 25 percent of those who voted in the previous election for the office.

For the 3rd Council District in the West Valley, for example, the number of signatures required on a recall petition would be reduced from 15,850 to 9,221. In the 1st Council District, in the central city area, the requirement would be halved to around 3,000 signatures.

The charter now requires an elected official to forfeit office if convicted of a felony, but Hernandez kept his council seat after pleading guilty to felony charges of cocaine possession on the understanding that the charge would not become a conviction if he completed a drug rehabilitation program.

The commissioners recommended that the new charter cause an automatic vacancy whenever an officeholder pleads guilty or no contest to a felony charge, even if the record is later expunged.

Hernandez said state law allows some drug convictions to be voided after drug rehabilitation.

``I think they are basically overruling state law on the question of diversion programs,'' Hernandez said. ``The reality is it's a crime against myself, so I'm not sure that is in their purview.''