CHICK TAKING CONTROL AS MONEY WATCHDOG.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

After eight years as the City Council member representing a West San Fernando Valley district, Laura Chick finds herself today dealing with culture shock as city controller.

``My heart and experience is all, first, from the San Fernando Valley,'' Chick said in a recent interview. ``Now, I find I have to look beyond that at city issues as a whole.''

And her job as controller also has resulted in a different relationship with city department heads.

``As a council member, the department heads respond to you in a certain way,'' Chick said. ``It's more along the lines of responding to complaints we would get.

``As controller, it's a completely different relationship. They are calling for information on how they can transfer funds to accomplish programs, asking us to look into certain aspects of their department. It's more like I am one of them.''

However, Chick, 56, who honed her political instincts on the City Council and during her years as a field deputy to former Councilwoman Joy Picus, will never truly be considered a bureaucrat. The need to push both herself and her staff will not allow that.

And, she said, being controller offers a unique opportunity and lays the prospect for an aggressive, articulate champion for public tax dollars that the city has not seen since the days of onetime Controller Ira Reiner. Reiner was able to use the post as a self-proclaimed tax watchdog and go on to become city attorney and district attorney.

``Rick Tuttle became more low-key in his final years,'' said Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Economic Development Corp. of Los Angeles County. ``I have a sense that Laura Chick will be more assertive and very, very active in investigating things in Los Angeles.

``There is a feeling that government - city government, any level of government - doesn't work well. Anything that improves efficiency and the delivery of services will be welcome.''

Kyser said Chick could easily fashion herself after state Controller Kathleen Connell, who has used her post to embarrass Gov. Gray Davis over the energy crisis and pushed herself into local issues, such as the performance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

``Some call it grandstanding, but if you're going to be effective in audits, you are going to step on some toes,'' Kyser said. ``And, if it makes things better and convinces areas like the Valley, that feel they've been shortchanged, it would be a feather in her cap.''

Chick has never been shy in her political career, from taking on and defeating her onetime boss, former Councilwoman Joy Picus, to crossing swords with former Mayor Richard Riordan at the height of his popularity. Most recently, she angered supporters of Mayor James Hahn when she backed former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in the mayoral contest, in what Hahn aides saw as a double-cross.

She has attempted to mend fences with Hahn - who also once served as controller - to try to develop a working relationship with him.

As for her job, Chick makes no secret of her plans.

``I love this job,'' she said. ``First of all, in terms of anything and everything that is of interest or worth knowing finds it way through the Controller's Office. It's even beyond what my expectations were regarding a variety of subject matters.

``Anything and everything becomes fair game to be looked at.''

One of the first areas Chick expects to look at is the always politically sensitive area of travel and how much department heads are authorizing to be spent.

``I've already gotten involved in setting new protocol standards for how public and elected officials spend tax dollars on things such as travel,'' Chick said. ``And, we're looking at the contracts and how we're doing with the billions that are spent with contracts with the private sector. ``I'm sending a letter out to general managers on the kind of information I want to see on trips and the documentation we have to make payments in a more timely manner.''

The review came about as a result of news accounts of five city workers and two consultants traveling to London and Paris to look at public toilets. The costs she has been able to determine so far are at least $7,000.

``I don't know why a trip like that was necessary,'' Chick said, pointing out that public toilets are not exactly a new item or need much research. San Francisco has toilets similar to the ones planned for Los Angeles.

It is an attitude that will earn her points in the taxpayer-advocate community, said Kris Vosburgh of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

``Her track record on tax issues is not that good, but now that she is essentially the city's watchdog, she seems to be indicating she will use her office as a bully pulpit, which could be to everyone's benefit,'' Vosburgh said.

``Having someone in the Controller's Office who knows City Hall, particularly with so many new council members, means she can send a message out to city officials, that there's going to be an additional penalty of embarrassment if they do something wrong.''

Chick said she she has developed a new healthy respect for most of the city's general managers, but believes others - whom she would not identify - don't recognize the changes demanded of government.

``A lot don't even think about running their departments like a private business would,'' Chick said. ``I don't think we've been asking the best of ourselves or the rest of the city. Department heads are not exerting the management that is required.''

Specifically, she said, she is concerned about the lack of communication between departments along with continuing problems of high workers' compensation and lawsuit costs.

``As controller, I see myself as the point person to push the envelope on improving business practices,'' Chick said. ``We are not in the current century when it comes to technology and new business systems. I want to put the spotlight on the digital divide that is growing every day between city government and the private sector.''

And, while Chick said she wants city agencies to look to her office to be a partner, she warns it will not be at the expense of her duties.

``The new City Charter gives this office more power to conduct audits,'' Chick said. ``What I'm looking at here are a lot of departments that have never been audited. That will change.''

George Keiffer, who headed the city's Appointed Charter Reform Commission, said it was felt the controller needed more authority because of the expanded powers given the mayor to hire and fire department heads and determine overall city policy.

``In addition to financial audits, the controller can now conduct performance audits to make sure departments are carrying out their duties,'' Keiffer said. ``We wanted a separate set of eyes looking at the departments to make sure they are performing their tasks.''

In addition, the controller is now required to issue an annual report on the debt the city is facing as well as audit the independent departments of Airports, Harbor and Water and Power at least once every five years.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) As city controller, Laura Chick says her responsibility extends beyond the Valley to all of L.A.

(2) City Controller Laura Chick says she plans to seek more audits of city spending in her role.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer