EDITORIAL : FOCUS ON REFORM; CHARTER COMMISSION NEEDS TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.

MAYOR Richard Riordan and many other prominent people in Los Angeles have committed themselves to City Charter reform as the only way to save the city from being broken up.

The Daily News has championed reform at City Hall and continues to do so despite serious reservations about the intent of the City Council, public employees and the handful of others who have power in the city.

We believe reform of the City Charter could solve problems such as factionalism, City Hall's contempt for taxpayers and disrespect for neighborhood values. We're just not sure it has much of a chance.

The charter, the city's constitution, needs updating to promote accountability, responsiveness and efficiency in government.

Two separate commissions are working on ideas for rewriting the charter. One was elected by voters, the other appointed by city officials.

The appointed panel has moved rapidly ahead and is ready to debate what should go into a new charter, how power should be shared and, most importantly, how to encourage public belief in and participation in city government.

The commission is composed of serious, credible citizens - despite having been named by the City Council and other officials in what was a cynical ploy to undermine meaningful reform. We hope it backfires.

Through the efforts of the commission's chairman, George D. Kieffer, and other members, its staff and its executive director, Raphael J. Sonenshein, the panel has displayed integrity and genuine interest in improving government.

Last night, the commission held a meeting to review the results of its past nine months of study and public hearings. Over the next four months, beginning Feb. 25, it will publicly discuss recommendations for a new charter.

The public is urged to attend the meetings and offer opinions about ways to make L.A. government better.

The commission has identified three key objectives:

To design a simpler, more accessible charter that preserves core protections while allowing flexibility in the design and operation of city government.

To clarify the roles of key city officials, especially the mayor and the City Council, so that their powers are appropriate to their tasks, and the public can clearly hold them accountable.

To increase and improve the opportunities for citizen participation in the charter.

The last point is telling. The current charter, ratified by voters in 1924, discourages participation by average residents, the commission has found.

Public involvement is crucial - both in debating charter reform and in the future activities of city government. Your participation as a resident is crucial because these issues affect your community and neighborhood.

If Los Angeles cannot balance the interests of all its people - not just the special interests, vested interests and moneyed interests - then it will continue to deteriorate as it has for much of this generation.

In that case, we believe the people of the San Fernando Valley deserve the chance to create a better city on their own, one that would honor the basic values of our community, respect the rich diversity of our residents and achieve accountability, efficiency and responsiveness in its city government.

The appointed Charter Reform Commission can be reached at [phone] or [phone].