LA Vote to Reshape Infrastructure Contract Rules

Contractors bidding on city infrastructure should track how Charter Amendment LA changes project selection and budgeting.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Utilities

Bold vector editorial illustration of a cast-iron valve wheel and exposed steel pipe on a concrete pad, evoking public infrastructure contracting. — Los Angeles voters will decide Charter Amendment LA in November 2026, a measure that would codify a capital infrastructure plan and extend the city budget to two years. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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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 the November 2026 ballot, which would establish a capital infrastructure plan and extend the city budget cycle from one year to two. The measure would also loosen rules on hiring third-party contractors for critical infrastructure projects.

Why it matters

The amendment would codify Mayor Karen Bass' Capital Infrastructure Program into the city's legal framework, and supporters argue a two-year budget would reduce reactionary spending and allow longer-range financial planning. For businesses that bid on city infrastructure work, changes to contractor selection rules would reshape how and by whom projects are awarded.

The proposed measure carries an estimated $4 million to $6 million in one-time costs for budget and asset systems and training, and would lengthen the city budget cycle from one year to two. The Capital Infrastructure Program identifies 10 recommendations for funding, repairing and building infrastructure, and the city's Public Works functions are spread across 5 LA County bureaus.

The players

Los Angeles City Council

The legislative body of the city of Los Angeles, which would develop the future ordinance that sets the specifics of the capital infrastructure plan.

Karen Bass

The Mayor of Los Angeles, whose Capital Infrastructure Program the amendment would codify into the city charter.

Bob Blumenfield

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who endorsed the amendment.

Katy Yaroslavsky

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who endorsed the amendment and whose district includes UCLA.

Kenneth Mejia

The Los Angeles City Controller, who endorsed the amendment.

The details

Charter Amendment LA would modify the city charter to establish a capital infrastructure plan, expand the authority of the director of the public works department, and allow the City Council to eliminate or change the Board of Public Works. It would also loosen regulations on choosing third-party contractors for critical infrastructure projects and grant the city permission to mortgage its properties and engage in commercial business. Specific infrastructure priorities would be set later through a future ordinance developed by the City Council and the mayor in a public process.

May 2026: Mayor Bass unveiled Los Angeles' first Capital Infrastructure Program.
November 3, 2026: Voters decide Charter Amendment LA on the ballot.

Market Landscape

The amendment would change the rules under which the city awards infrastructure contracts by loosening limits on third-party contractor selection and altering the authority of the Board of Public Works. Contractors and vendors that serve city public works will face a shift in how projects are scoped, sourced and overseen if voters approve the measure.

Contractors and suppliers that work on Los Angeles infrastructure should watch for changes to bid rules and to who sets project priorities if the amendment passes. Operators with city-facing revenue should plan for a longer budget horizon and an eventual implementing ordinance rather than annual reprioritization.

The takeaway

Watch for the implementing ordinance that will define the capital infrastructure plan after the November 3, 2026 vote. Businesses that bid on city infrastructure should track changes to contractor selection rules and the Board of Public Works structure as they take shape.

What happens next

Voters decide Charter Amendment LA on November 3, 2026, and if approved the City Council and mayor will develop the implementing ordinance for the capital infrastructure plan in a public process.