HAHN ACCUSED OF BREACH OF ETHICS.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

San Fernando Valley cityhood supporters filed ethics complaints Monday against Mayor James Hahn, alleging that he is improperly using city resources to campaign against secession.

The United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley, which supports cityhood, and the San Fernando Valley Independence Committee, which is leading the secession campaign, filed the complaints with the city Ethics Commission and the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

``We have learned that your city dollars and your city resources are being used improperly, and possibly illegally, by City Hall to wage a campaign against independence,'' said Independence Committee co-chairwoman Laurette Healey.

``Instead of using their resources to represent you, fix local problems, take care of local control and manage our resources, they're using their City Hall offices and staff time to campaign against independence.''

The complainers said the mayor has been using city resources, including city staff time and the city Web site, to promote his campaign against secession by, for example, organizing press conferences, writing news releases and crafting campaign strategy.

They also said copies of press releases, with titles like ``Mayor Joins Hollywood Community Leaders to Voice Opposition to Secession'' and ``Mayor Hahn Announces Van Nuys Community Activist Don Schultz to Join Anti-Secession Effort'' were posted on the city's Web site and e-mailed to hundreds of city employees.

Hahn's press secretary, Julie Wong, said the mayor's staff had the legal right to support the mayor as he addressed the secession issue before it was placed on the ballot July 25. After that date, Wong said, the Mayor's Office has been leaving campaign-related activities to Hahn's campaign organization, L.A. United.

``The Mayor's Office has worked closely with the City Attorney's Office to make sure all our actions are in accordance with the law and appropriate,'' Wong said.

Frederick Merkin, a senior counsel in the City Attorney's Office, agreed that most of the limitations on city staffers began after July 25.

``Different rules kick in when the measure goes before the voters,'' Merkin said.

But secessionists attorney John Ramirez, of the Costa Mesa firm Rutan & Tucker, said it was clear long before the July 25 Board of Supervisors action that the measure would be on the ballot.

``I don't agree there was no ballot measure (before July 25),'' Ramirez said. ``We're talking about a rule that seeks to shut down the use of public facilities when you know an issue will be placed before the voters. Obviously, as we well know in the Valley, this issue was going to go before the voters long before these activities (by the city) took place.''

Ramirez estimated that the city has spent the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in city staff time and resources in support of Hahn's campaign.

Independent ethics and legal experts said they didn't see a legal problem with the mayor using the city staff to discuss his position on issues, as long as staffers didn't participate in overt campaign activities on city time, such as making fund-raising calls and talking about campaign strategy.

``It is absolutely proper for the mayor to be putting out his view on secession,'' said campaign watchdog Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies. ``Clearly, he can put out a press release on it. That's his job as a public official, and I don't have a problem with an assistant writing the press releases. I think that's part of being a public official.''

But whether such behavior is appropriate was another question, others said.

``While it may not be illegal, I think taxpayers look askance at this kind of use of their money,'' said Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. ``It's a public relations issue.

``Most people are going to regard it as negative - if it diverts one penny from filling potholes, then it's a negative expenditure of public money.''

Officials with the city Ethics Commission and the FPPC, following their standard policy, declined to comment on the complaints or even confirm receiving them.