Cardenas, Chick seek law opinions

A conflict between two of the city’s top elected leaders over a plan to give Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa control of antigang programs continued Monday when both officials sought legal opinions about oversight of gang services in the mayor’s office.

City Councilman Tony Cardenas opposes a plan by Controller Laura Chick to shift gang-prevention programs from council control to Villaraigosa, saying such a move would strip away important oversight. In a letter to City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo on Monday, Cardenas said the city charter did not give Chick the authority to conduct “performance” audits of elected officials.

In her own letter to Delgadillo, Chick maintained that the city charter did not limit her ability to audit city programs.

Cardenas and Chick asked Delgadillo for legal opinions on whether she can conduct such audits.