RIORDAN PUSHES PLAN; MAYOR, COUNCIL GROUP AT ODDS OVER CHARTER.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan campaigned Tuesday for the City Charter proposal on the June ballot, while a coalition of City Council members made plans to attack it as leading to ``crime, cronyism and corruption.''

Councilman Rudy Svorinich, who formed the group called Los Angeles Taxpayers for Good Government, said he and five other council members expect to raise more than $500,000 to campaign against Proposition 1 on the June 8 ballot.

The others are Richard Alatorre, Hal Bernson, Ruth Galanter, Jackie Goldberg and council President John Ferraro. They will be going up against Mayor Richard Riordan who plans to spend $1 million on behalf of the measure.

There central concern is the charter proposal would give the mayor more power.

Riordan, speaking to a breakfast meeting of the Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce, urged voters to support the charter plan. While he opposes secession, but has come to support funding the Valley cityhood study, he sought to keep the issue separate from charter reform.

``Even if the Valley secedes, you want to see Los Angeles succeed,'' Riordan said. ``The only way we can do that is by adopting the new charter.''

Riordan said the proposal would change how City Hall operates, stripping the council of its role as the city's governing body.

``Right now, the City Council has most of the administrative authority,'' he said. ``As a result, no one is responsible for anything that happens.''

With the power to hire and fire general managers under the new plan, Riordan said he would be able to bring in tough new managers to run the city government.

He also supports an increase in the size of the City Council from 15 to 25 members - a separate item on the June 8 ballot - but doesn't believe voters will approve such an expansion.

Svorinich said his group's main argument will be over the increase in powers to the mayor's office at the expense of the City Council.

Under the charter proposal, council would give up most of its executive authority and would primarily be a legislative body.

``You'd think we would have learned from 75 years ago when the current charter was adopted that we don't need a return to crime, cronyism and corruption,'' Svorinich said. ``We don't want to see Los Angeles turn into a Chicago or New York. Out here, we believe in doing our business in the sunshine.''

Riordan said he was not surprised by the actions of the members, many of whom have made their opposition clear.

``This is a free country and everyone has the right to put their views to the public,'' Riordan said. ``I believe they're wrong and I think the public will support the charter.''

In a related development, a Valley group announced it will be forming its own campaign against the charter and its leaders will include Paula Boland, the former assemblywoman who served on the Elected Charter Reform Commission.

Boland doesn't believe the proposal goes far enough in changing how City Hall operates.

``I took my responsibility as an elected charter commissioner seriously to help create a better constitution for the city,'' Boland said in a prepared statement. ``This charter doesn't do that. It caves in to special interests, misses the key points and bargains away the electorate's sacred trust to downtown power brokers.''

The group is calling itself ``Not This Charter Coalition,'' and includes Bill Powers of the United Chambers of Commerce, members of the 12th District Charter Reform Committee as well as several other groups.

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PHOTO Mayor Richard Riordan, standing with community activist Sisto Sandoval, tours a section of Van Nuys on Tuesday.

Phil McCarten/Daily News