Los Angeles County ballot measures that you need to know: Amendments DD, LL, FF, and US

California’s ballot measure system gives citizens the chance to directly set policies.

At the local level, things get confusing. There are often dozens of proposed amendments, some covering only the arcane inner workings of small government agencies. But this election day, several proposals are on the ballot that may significantly change how the city of Los Angeles runs. This year, LAPost.com has chosen four measures to highlight.

Amendment DD: New Redistricting Commission

When new electoral maps need to be drawn up, which happens every ten years, redistricting commissions are formed to determine how they are laid out. Until now, the membership of these commissions has been appointed by elected officials, including the City Council.

In 2022, leaked tapes showed politicians talking about preserving their positions by stacking new districts. Ever since, controversy has followed the redistricting process.

Ballot measure DD proposes an Independent Redistricting Commission, which will be responsible for drawing these maps. Nine out of eighteen members of this commission will be selected at random from an open application process. Those members will then be able to select the other nine from the same applicant pool.

The proposal has drawn plaudits from those concerned about conflicts of interest. However, it will not totally eliminate bias. The new council would be staffed by people with their own interests and political views. At best, these should cancel each other out, as council members with opposite opinions are forced to compromise. At worst, it could hand control of the electoral map to an unaccountable clique.

Amendment LL: School redistricting reform

Much like Amendment DD, LL aims to depoliticize the redistricting process. This time, however, it’s not electoral districts at issue, but schools. Currently, the seven members of the LAUSD school board draw the map, which determines the voters who will elect them. If LL passes, independent volunteers — who must be parents or guardians of LAUSD schools — would oversee all new districts drawn up in the future.

Amendment FF: New options for peace officer pensions

Peace officers, such as those employed by the airport, the harbor and the Parks Department, currently get their pensions from the L.A. City Employees’ Retirement system. This measure would give them the option to move over to the L.A. Fire and Police Pension Plan, which has a reputation for being more generous. If passed, around 460 officers would become eligible to change their plans, and the city would be on the hook for any expenses.

Amendment US: Borrowing $9 billion to modernize L.A. schools

It’s no secret that L.A. schools are strapped for cash. Over the years, billions of dollars in renovation projects have been proposed, without adequate funding. The problem is that capital projects such as these can only be financed by bonds.

Measure US would see the L.A. Unified School District borrow $9 billion, which would then be repaid through a tax on homeowners. According to Tanya Oritz Franklin, a member of the school board, this would amount to $9 per month for each homeowner. It should work out to $25 a year for every $100,000 of assessed valuation. 

Funds would go towards interactive whiteboards, furniture, security buzzers, electric buses, cafeteria upgrades, health facilities, and other modernization projects. $1.25 billion are also earmarked for school greening projects, such as planting trees and installing lawns.