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OPEN LETTER –
The following open letter comes from delegates who participated in Los Angeles' recent Civic Assemblies on Charter Reform, convened in partnership with the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission. Organized by Public Democracy Los Angeles (PDLA), the assemblies brought together residents selected by lottery to deliberate on key issues facing the city and develop recommendations for policymakers. As the City Council considers charter reform proposals this month, more than 20 assembly delegates have signed this letter urging city leaders to make civic assemblies a permanent part of Los Angeles governance.
For the first time in nearly three decades, Los Angeles decided to rewrite its constitution: the city charter, a foundational document that shapes how the city governs itself. It was a rare moment when the rules that guide a city and define its principles could be rewritten.
Public Democracy Los Angeles (PDLA), a grassroots volunteer coalition advancing civic engagement in the city, saw this moment and asked: What if the people who live here actually got to shape those rules?
In partnership with other pro-democracy advocates, PDLA organized a series of civic assemblies: structured forums where residents selected by lottery deliberate on public matters and make recommendations to policymakers built on consensus. These resident recommendations fed directly into the work of the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, the official body tasked with recommending charter amendments to the LA City Council.
PDLA first piloted a Model Assembly in Culver City in June 2025, followed by two small-scale assemblies focused on specific charter topics in December 2025 and January 2026. Building from that momentum, Los Angeles had its first ever full-scale Civic Assembly on Charter Reform earlier this year, a historic moment when modern movements of deliberative democracy are scarce, albeit growing, in the US.
Not your typical town hall, here we saw residents from different backgrounds thinking through the concrete mechanics of how power moves through their city. In one assembly, residents tackled topics on land use and development, grappling with how communities could have real input in development decisions and what equitable planning actually requires. In another, they focused on the charter's preamble and bill of rights, identifying core values that should anchor LA governance and the human rights protections residents deserve.
The full-scale assembly, developed across two weekends, centered on the City Council itself: its structure, size, ethics standards, and how accountability actually works.
The Charter Reform Commission took resident recommendations seriously and at least partially incorporated 19 out of 29 recommendations into its final report, which was transmitted to City Council last month. Key wins include ranked-choice voting for all municipal elections, a commitment to charter review every 10 years facilitated by civic assemblies, and a five-year Capital Improvement Plan with public scoring and transparent criteria.
The Commission adopted several recommendations from the assembly on the city's preamble and developed the language through it and passed it by vote last month. For the first time in the city's history, the preamble now reflects residents' calls for accountability, historical justice, and environmental stewardship.
But not all recommendations made it through. Some were partially adopted. The civic assembly process was limited to charter review only, not made a permanent advisory body advising City Council on major decisions, as residents recommended. The residents' proposal for a rotating council presidency was rejected.
Others weren't adopted at all: residents called for data privacy protections—safeguards against commercial use of personal likeness and data without consent—that didn't make the Commission's final recommendations. The "Family of Neighborhoods" concept to elevate neighborhood-level governance was abandoned. An independent Ombudsman office with anti-retaliation protections never made it in.
And residents wanted the city to listen more closely to people directly affected by development decisions—those at risk of displacement or housing loss. The Commission didn't recommend this approach, nor did it adopt proposals for expedited permitting to speed affordable housing development, or for changing the Planning Commission to include randomly selected community members.
Now the power shifts to City Council, which is currently reviewing the Charter Reform Commission's final report. They have the power to modify, add to, or subtract from the list of recommendations, and will ultimately decide which reforms voters will see on the November 2026 ballot.
Having experienced what genuine democratic deliberation looks like, the residents who participated in these assemblies understand something important: institutions can and should listen to ordinary people.
After all, it's We the People who make up the city we love through our service, residence, and the culture we build that makes our city worth living in—and protecting. Each of us who call Los Angeles home are inextricably tied to the impacts and outcomes of how our city is governed, for better or worse. Why not, then, let the people most impacted have a say on how our city is run?
That's precisely why the assembly delegates are speaking to City Council now, before that final June decision. What began as an experiment in raising resident voices has become a demand for lasting influence.
To the Members of the Los Angeles City Council,
We, the delegates of Los Angeles' historic civic assemblies and residents of this city, urge you to permanently embed civic assemblies into your governance process.
We were selected by lottery, strangers from across LA, and spent considerable time deliberating on what our city's charter should promise. We came from different walks of life, each of us from different neighborhoods and different politics. Yet over several hours of structured dialogue, we found common ground. We arrived at clear convictions about accountability, justice, basic rights, and genuine participation.
The Charter Reform Commission listened to us. They adopted our language. And we hope our recommendations will shape LA's governance for decades.
This experience taught us something fundamental: when residents are given time, information, and space to think together, we arrive at important decisions we can agree on. We don't fall into partisan gridlock. We listen across differences. We care deeply about getting things right. And we trust each other more than you might expect.
We also learned what's possible when institutions actually listen. Governance becomes more tangible and less extractive. We feel heard and we know we are seen. Decisions reflect the people they affect.
We are asking you to:
• Make civic assemblies standard practice in major city decisions—on housing, public safety, education, budget allocation. Before you vote, convene residents by lottery. Give them expert input. Give them time to deliberate. Then act on what they recommend.
• Develop more mechanisms for genuine civic engagement beyond surveys and comment periods. Residents deserve structured deliberation, not just "politics as usual."
The model works. We've proved it. Now it's time for City Council to trust that residents understand what our city needs.
—The Delegates of Los Angeles Civic Assemblies and Residents of this City
(Melina Perez is a member of Public Democracy Los Angeles (PDLA), a volunteer-led grassroots coalition advancing civic assemblies and democratic participation in Los Angeles. She has worked with the LA Charter Reform Commission to bring resident-led policy recommendations into the city's charter reform process and advocates for greater public involvement in local governance.)
