FEE WAIVER GRANTED FOR CHIEF'S RALLY.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to waive $9,500 in fees billed to a Los Angeles church for the Convention Center rally this week supporting a second term for Police Chief Willie L. Williams.

The waiver of the fees for the West Angeles Church of God was passed unanimously without discussion after council members received a report that such waivers are common.

Council members Ruth Galanter and Laura Chick and others asked for and received a report that was circulated to council members before the vote. The report included a list of several other waivers of fees for special events, totaling $176,000.

``There is nothing unusual about this,'' said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, co-author of the motion providing the waiver. ``It is being handled like any other community event.''

Still, Chick and others wanted to make sure they were not setting precedent with the action, according to Karen Constine, a spokeswoman for the councilwoman.

``She just wanted to review the material. She wanted to see if it was consistent with the policy that this council had used in the past,'' Constine said.

Some city officials have said privately that the waiver was questionable because it was asking taxpayers to cover costs of an event that had the appearance of a political campaign rally.

In calling for city officials to give the chief a second term, several of his supporters at Tuesday's rally accused elected officials of playing politics in their treatment of the chief.

The event was sponsored by the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, which said it would be a financial hardship to pay the $7,500 in rent for use of an exhibit hall and $2,000 in rent for use of city sound equipment.

In justifying the waiver, the motion by council members Rita Walters and Ridley-Thomas said the event ``serves a public purpose by bringing community groups together to build peace and unity in the city.''