CHARTER REFORM MEASURE CLOSER TO MAKING BALLOT : CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE RULES NONRESIDENTS MAY COLLECT SIGNATURES.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. moved closer to deciding whether the April ballot will include a charter reform initiative, with the City Attorney's Office ruling Friday that people who live outside the city may work to qualify the measure. However, the Los Angeles County registrar has not determined yet whether petitions collected by nonresidents will be counted and how many signatures could be at risk of being disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. . Assistant City Clerk In the United States, a City Clerk is an elected or appointed official who is responsible as the official keeper of the municipal records. In some places, the Clerk may be known as the "Village Clerk" or "Town Clerk". Kris Heffron said her office has informed the registrar of city policy but cannot tell the registrar what to do. The initiative would create an elected charter reform commission with power to bypass the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. and propose changes on
how the city governs itself. Those proposed changes would be submitted
directly to the voters in 1999.
A formal determination of whether the initiative qualified for the April 1997 ballot on a preliminary count is expected next week. The county registrar is verifying the petitions on behalf of the city. Councilman Nate Holden Nathaniel "Nate" R. Holden (1929-) served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1987 to 2002. He previously served a term on the California State Senate and was Assistant Chief Deputy to then Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. lodged a protest with the City Attorney's Office and City Clerk's Office, saying that city rules require petitions to be circulated by city residents. ``It's wrong,'' Holden said. ``The city law should apply.'' But Assistant City Attorney Tony Alperin said that because state law governs the charter reform initiative process, nonresidents may circulate cir·cu·late v. cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing, cir·cu·lates v.intr. 1. To move in or flow through a circle or circuit: blood circulating through the body. 2. petitions, as long as only registered city residents sign them. Backers of the initiative said they believe they have enough signatures, even if the petitions collected by nonresidents are disqualified. |
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