Los Angeles council advances charter amendment on three-term limit; ordinance delayed one week

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday advanced a charter amendment to allow three-term limits for elected city officials but delayed completing the ordinance for one week because only 11 members were present.

Councilmember Holden opened discussion on item 21, asking whether the city attorney and city controller had concerns about the proposed charter amendment that would extend term limits to three terms for elected officials. A representative of the City Attorney's Office said the amendment text before the council was consistent with prior actions and would treat partial terms "the same as they are now under the charter," counting a partial term of a half term or more toward the limit.

Holden said he supported giving voters the choice but expressed concern about proceeding without an explicit view from other citywide elected officials. After discussion the council voted on the resolutions associated with the measure. The clerk recorded 11 ayes; because the council did not have 12 members present, the body postponed final ordinance action for one week while the resolutions were approved.

Why it matters: The change would alter the city charter's term-limit rules for all elected officials, potentially affecting future elections and incumbency. Council comments showed interest in letting voters decide while also wanting assurance from other city officials about the proposal's broader implications.

What happened next: Councilmembers approved the related resolutions and agreed the ordinance portion must be taken up again when a full 12-member council is present. No additional implementation steps or effective dates were specified in the meeting record.

Notes: The clerk's roll shows 11 ayes on the recorded vote; the transcript indicates the resolutions were approved but that the ordinance portion must return next week to meet the 12-member requirement for final action.