CHARTER REFORM MERGER STALLED.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Amid concerns about retaining its independence, Los Angeles' newly elected charter reform commission balked Monday at a proposal to formally combine efforts with a commission appointed by the City Council.

The newly named Elected Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission voted 10-2 to ask a committee to give further study to a proposal by commissioner Nick Pacheco that would have merged the efforts of the two commissions into a bicameral framework in which the panels would seek to produce a joint proposal for charter reform.

Pacheco warned his colleagues that voters will turn down charter reform if the two commissions produce competing charter reform packages.

Commissioner Rob Glushon said Pacheco may be right but that he has seen no interest from the appointed 21-member commission to have a formal linkage with the elected 15-member commission.

``If it's not something they are interested in or if we don't know yet (their interest), it's premature,'' agreed Commissioner Bill Weinberger.

Weinberger heads a subcommittee that is looking at less-formal ways to cooperate, including the sharing of studies and hearing transcripts.

``We want . . . to retain our autonomy and independence as a commission,'' Weinberger said.

The elected panel was created by an initiative, sponsored by Mayor Richard Riordan, that gave the panel power to submit reforms directly to the voters without council revisions. The council appointed its own commission and has given it $1.1 million in city funds to start its work.

The council's commission must submit reforms to the council for revision, but Riordan has questioned whether the council will approve any charter changes that threaten the council's power.

To protect the elected commission's independence from the council, Riordan pledged during the campaign for the initiative to privately raise the funds needed for the elected panel's work, including a pledge to put $300,000 of his own money into the pot.

On Monday the elected commission voted to submit a written request for Riordan to keep his pledge and contribute the first $300,000. The panel tabled a proposal by Commissioner Erwin Chemerinsky to instead ask the City Council for funding, which would be reimbursed if any private contributions ever come in.

``Unless we are funded, we will fail,'' said Chemerinsky, in voicing impatience with the lack of start-up funds.

Studio City attorney David Fleming, who co-sponsored the initiative with Riordan, said the mayor is prepared to provide the money necessary for the elected panel.

Commissioner Paula Boland argued against the Chemerinsky motion, saying it would betray the trust of the voters, who she said were promised a commission that was not funded at taxpayer expense.