Sec. 23.144. Office of Public Accountability. (a) Legislative Findings. On March 8, 2011, the voters of the City of Los Angeles adopted Charter Amendment I to establish an Office of Public Accountability for the Department of Water and Power (DWP). Charter Amendment I provides in Charter Section 683(a) that “[t]he role of the Office of Public Accountability (OPA) shall be to provide public independent analysis of department [DWP] actions as they relate to water and electricity rates.” The ballot argument in favor of the measure argued that it would establish the OPA “to shed greater light on the DWP’s operations and finances” and that the OPA would be “charged with analyzing proposed increases in our water and power rates on a timely and continuous basis.” Charter Amendment I intended that the OPA function independently of the DWP and City officials. The measure in Charter Section 683 (c)(1) provides that while the Executive Director is to “report directly” to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners (Board), the Executive Director is “not to be instructed” by the Board. The ballot argument in favor of the measure argued that the OPA is to serve as an “independent watchdog.” Critical to the OPA’s independence is that it exists outside of the DWP and other City departments and offices. The ballot argument in favor of Charter Amendment I argued that consumer protection would be increased by authorizing the OPA “to investigate legitimate complaints” from customers and “to propose recommendations” to address these issues. (b) Mission of the OPA. (1) The OPA shall seek to improve the performance of the DWP by analyzing and reporting on the reasonableness of water and power utility rates, the DWP’s long-term strategic planning documents, and other DWP policies, procedures, decisions, contracts, and programs, including assessing the reasonableness of such proposals and the assumptions upon which they are based. (2) The OPA shall provide information and make recommendations to the Board, the City Council, the Mayor, Neighborhood Councils, and the public to assure the DWP’s transparency and accountability to its customers and reasonableness of its policies and rates. (3) The OPA shall provide information and advice, as opposed to direction, to the DWP, the Mayor and Council. (c) Independence of the OPA.