Los Angeles City Council Meeting - June 17, 2026

The Los Angeles City Council held a lengthy regular and special meeting on June 17, 2026, the last meeting before the Juneteenth holiday. Key actions included votes on Measure ULA reforms, a comprehensive charter reform package covering parks funding, police oversight, voting rights, port governance, and personnel changes. The meeting began with presentations honoring Black Music Month figures and included extensive public comment.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from June 16, 2026, and commendatory resolutions were adopted unanimously.
• Items 3–5 (post-hearing items) were adopted with 12 votes.
• A request to hold item 23 on the desk was granted.
• All items on the regular agenda were adopted forthwith due to the holiday.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Measure ULA: Numerous speakers from labor unions (e.g., Carpenters), tenant advocacy groups (Eviction Defense Network, Community Power Collective), and community organizations addressed the council. Supporters of ULA urged no ballot amendments, arguing the measure is working and that developers' claims are unfounded. Opponents, including construction unions and the "Mended Don't End It" coalition, argued ULA is stifling housing production and called for reforms. Several tenants shared personal stories of how ULA-funded eviction defense helped them stay housed.
• Fast Food Fair Work Ordinance: Workers from Wiener Schnitzel and others spoke in support of the ordinance, citing wage theft and lack of breaks.
• Parks Funding: Advocates from Equipo Verde, Trust for Public Land, and community members called for increased charter allocation for parks, noting Los Angeles spends the least per resident among major cities.
• Charter Reform: Speakers supported ranked-choice voting, council expansion, police reform (CRC 54 and 58), and port-related amendments. Some criticized the process as rushed and lacking public engagement.
• General Public Comment: Comments included calls for integrity in government, opposition to Scientology influence, and support for police accountability.

Discussion Items

• Measure ULA Reform (Items 78–79):

  • Item 78 (Palisades fire exemption): A standalone measure to exempt properties affected by the Pacific Palisades fire from ULA transfer tax for five years. Passed 15-0.
  • Item 79 (General ULA amendments): Council debated whether to send reforms to the November 2026 ballot. Councilmember Jurado (ad hoc committee chair) argued against a ballot measure, citing data and legal risks. Councilmember McCosker proposed a middle-ground amendment (79A) to exempt new multifamily construction from the tax for 10 years and expand eligible uses to interim housing. Councilmember Blumenfield proposed 79B to refund nonprofits that paid the tax. After debate:
    • A verbal motion by Yaroslavsky to request a city attorney report on contingencies passed 11-3.
    • 79B (nonprofit refund) failed 6-8.
    • 79A (10-year exemption, interim housing, oversight flexibility) passed 9-5.
    • Item 79 as amended passed 9-5.

• Charter Reform (Special Meeting, Items 67–77):

  • The council reviewed a rules committee report with dozens of recommendations. Key votes included:
    • Public Works Director (Rec. 2-4): Passed 9-6 over concerns about transparency.
    • Capital Infrastructure Plan (Rec. 5): Amended by Hernandez (to clarify language) and passed 15-0.
    • Parks Funding (Rec. 6, amended by 67H): After extensive debate, a compromise to double the charter allocation to 0.065% of assessed property value over 10 years, with a floor of 0.0325%, passed 14-1. An amendment to require a fiscal impact report from the CAO was accepted.
    • Airport Commission (Rec. 7-8): Passed 14-1.
    • Board of Airport Commissioners (Rec. 9, amended by 68A): Amended to allow no fewer than seven members and geographic criteria by ordinance; passed 14-1.
    • Appeals Timeline (Rec. 10): Amended to 21 council days (excluding recess); passed 14-1.
    • Ethics (Rec. 17): Passed 15-0.
    • CAO CFO Designation (Rec. 15): Referred to ordinance (11-4).
    • Two-Year Budget (Rec. 16): Passed 15-0.
    • Police Policy Authority (CRC 54, Rec. 22): After heated debate, passed 10-5 (with Council President Harris-Dawson voting no, citing historical concerns). A motion to obtain a confidential city attorney analysis on meet-and-confer obligations was seconded.
    • Police Commission Veto Power (CRC 56, Rec. 23): Referred to ad hoc committee (12-0).
    • Voting Age 16 (Rec. 67): Referred to further study.
    • Residential Voting for Non-Citizens (Rec. 36, amended by 76A): Passed 10-5, allowing council to expand voting rights by ordinance during redistricting periods.
    • Port of LA – Public Access & Workforce (Rec. 86, amendments 67C and 67G): Adopted 12-0.
    • Airport Commission Local Seats (Rec. 102, amendment 67A): Passed 8-4, increasing LAX-area seats to three and Van Nuys-area seats to two, with areas defined by ordinance.
    • Controller Budget (Rec. 67F): Referred to ad hoc committee.
  • Personnel recommendations (Rec. 28, 29, 30, 37, 38) were referred to EERC, CAO, and ad hoc committee.

• Other Items:

  • Item 22 (charter reform discussion) was amended and passed.
  • Item 28 (budget) approved.
  • Settlements (Items 29–66) were approved as read, totaling millions of dollars.

Key Outcomes

• Measure ULA: Council voted 9-5 to send a reform package (79A) to the ballot in November, including a 10-year exemption for new multifamily construction and expanded use for interim housing. The Palisades fire exemption (78) was sent to the ballot unanimously.
• Parks Funding: A charter amendment to double parks funding to 0.065% of assessed property value over 10 years was approved 14-1; will appear on November ballot.
• Police Oversight: CRC 54 (clarifying council’s authority to set general policy for LAPD) passed and will go to voters. CRC 56 (expanding 245 powers) was sent to the ad hoc committee for further study.
• Voting Rights: A measure allowing the council to extend voting in municipal elections to non-citizen residents passed 10-5 and will be on the ballot.
• Airport Commission: A measure to increase local representation on the Board of Airport Commissioners (three seats for LAX area, two for Van Nuys) passed 8-4.
• Port: Charter amendments to require a Public Access Investment Plan and workforce analysis were adopted.
• Personnel: Several personnel-related charter reform items were referred for further negotiation with unions.
• Controller’s Office: A proposal to set aside 0.42% of the general fund for the controller was referred to the ad hoc committee.
• Next Steps: The council will finalize ballot language and grouping by late June; the November 2026 ballot will include multiple charter amendments.