Scope of City Council Authority and Perspective on Voter Approval
Background: In the last couple of years, there have been examples of potentially significant decisions considered by City Council that, if passed, could have obligated the City financially for many years and for very significant amounts (millions of dollars). Examples include:
CPA (Clean Power Alliance) energy liabilities
Debt offerings, such as issuance of:
Pension bonds
Certificates of participation
T3 Public-Private partnerships wherein the City Council obligates the City to pay the builder's debt
Outsourcing police services to the LASD or another entity
Some (not all) of these actions were put to a vote by Council but not to a vote by the residents. Others have just been discussed at some level but not yet proposed or voted upon.
Question: As a Council member, what are your perspectives on the appropriateness of pursuing any of these types of actions without a referendum? Should there be any limits (financial or otherwise) on what the Council can or cannot approve?