Charter Amendment LA to Set Infrastructure Plan
Los Angeles voters will decide on Charter Amendment LA on the November 2026 ballot, which would extend the city budget cycle and establish a capital infrastructure plan.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Utilities
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Should Los Angeles change its charter to overhaul how it plans infrastructure?
Los Angeles voters will decide Charter Amendment LA on November 3, 2026. The measure would modify the city charter to establish a capital infrastructure plan and extend the one-year budget cycle to two years.
Why it matters
The amendment would codify Mayor Karen Bass' infrastructure roadmap into the city's legal framework and could let the city plan spending over a longer horizon. Supporters argue a two-year budget could reduce reactionary spending.
The measure carries an estimated $4 million to $6 million in one-time costs and would extend the budget cycle from one year to two. The capital plan's exact funding priorities depend on a future ordinance not yet written.
The players
Karen Bass
Mayor of Los Angeles, who unveiled the city's first Capital Infrastructure Program and whose roadmap the amendment would codify.
Kenneth Mejia
Los Angeles City Controller, who has endorsed the charter amendment.
The details
Charter Amendment LA would expand the authority of the public works director, allow the City Council to eliminate or change the Board of Public Works, loosen rules on hiring third-party contractors for critical infrastructure, and permit the city to mortgage properties and engage in commercial business. Endorsers include Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Katy Yaroslavsky, City Controller Kenneth Mejia and former Controller Ron Galperin.
Timeline
May 2026: Mayor Bass unveiled the first Capital Infrastructure Program.
November 3, 2026: Voters decide Charter Amendment LA on the ballot.
Business Landscape
The measure would change how the city's charter governs its one-year budget requirement, extending it to two years. It also seeks to loosen rules on selecting third-party contractors for critical infrastructure projects, shifting procurement authority within city government.
Residents would see budget decisions planned over two years rather than one, potentially affecting how infrastructure repairs and new projects are scheduled. The measure's direct effect on individual utility bills is not specified in the source material.
The takeaway
The amendment's success would depend heavily on how the mayor hires and empowers engineering and planning experts to carry out the infrastructure program. Voters weighing the measure in November will be deciding not just a budget timeline but who controls city infrastructure decisions.
What happens next
Voters will decide Charter Amendment LA on November 3, 2026, and the capital plan details would follow in a future City Council and mayoral ordinance.
Further reading
For more on how the city manages its infrastructure, see Utilities.
Live Poll
Should Los Angeles change its charter to overhaul how it plans infrastructure?
