Council approves 30-day extension for interim CRA administrator amid demands for open search

The Los Angeles City Council voted to extend the contract of Jerry Charlene, interim administrator of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), for 30 days and continued the item for further review, after several council members, union representatives and community organizations pushed for a public competitive search and additional oversight.

Councilman Ernesto Hernandez said the council had been sidelined from earlier search work and called for clearer process: "Decisions were made without us participating," Hernandez said, arguing the council should have been part of any suspension of the search and subsequent extensions.

Why it matters: The council framed the vote as balancing the need for short-term stability at the agency while preserving an open, competitive hiring process for a permanent administrator. Opponents of the commission's unilateral extension said a public search is necessary to restore transparency and trust. Supporters said agency stabilization and financial turnaround work already under way require continuity.

Council action and process: The council adopted a motion to extend Charlene's contract for 30 days and continued the substantive item until the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday; the roll call on the extension read 11 ayes, 1 no. Separately, a motion by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas asking the city attorney to provide a briefing on pending legal matters related to the CRA passed 12 ayes.

What council members said: Pacheco, chair of the Housing and Community Redevelopment Committee, said the commission and committee had set out a process designed to stabilize the agency and that extending the interim administrator would let that work continue: "The compromise ... is based on the fact that I believe Mr. Charlene is doing a good job, that Mr. Charlene is not finished with his work and really needs the time period that we have outlined of a year." By contrast, Ridley-Thomas and others argued that the agency should proceed with a prompt nationwide search: "A process that is open, that is fair, that is competitive, is in the best interest of the health of the agency," Ridley-Thomas said.

Public comment and stakeholders: David Cochran, representing AFSCME, told the council his members support a public competitive search and opposed what he called a closed process by the CRA. "We are here because we are concerned about the promises made by the CRA board to this council, to the public, and to our members, and those promises were not kept," Cochran said. Judy Schwartz of the Central City Association urged stability and called for Charlene to be given time to complete financial restructuring work. Levi Kingston, who said he chairs a locally created CRA-related board, supported Ridley-Thomas' motion for an open search.

City analysis and oversight: Ron Deaton (Chief Legislative Analyst) told the council that the city charter and an existing oversight ordinance determine the council's and mayor's roles over the CRA and that those rules remain in force despite charter changes under discussion. Several council members asked that the CLA and City Attorney review proposals and supply recommendations at the continued hearing.

Outcome and next steps: The council approved the 30-day extension (11 ayes, 1 no) and continued the item until Wednesday; the council also approved Ridley-Thomas' request that the City Attorney provide a briefing on pending legal matters (vote 12 ayes). The clerk said the tape and motions would be compiled for the next meeting. The council asked that the Chief Legislative Analyst prepare analysis and that the City Attorney make members aware of any impending legal actions tied to CRA decisions before the next hearing.

Context note: Several council members said they were concerned that the mayoral powers created by a forthcoming charter change will affect long-term appointments, but they did not link the current short extension to any specific future appointment. The council's action preserves the administrator's position temporarily while members seek a process that includes a public search and additional oversight.