Nearly half of the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday expressed support for putting a measure on the March ballot that would ask voters to create Department of Water and Power ratepayer advocate.

The move comes in the wake of the council's tug of war with the powerful DWP over transparency, rate increases and cash that the department promised to fork over to the city's general coffers (it eventually did, but only after it got its rate hike).

Jan Perry, Greig Smith, Jose Huizar, Ed Reyes, Tom LaBonge and Paul Koretz have expressed support for council President Eric Garcetti's plan to put the measure before L.A. voters. It still has an array of council committees to cross before it gets to the ballot.

“My motion empowers an office with full-time, independent oversight authority to ensure DWP is playing it straight with its customers and the public,'' Garcetti said.”People's DWP bills should go toward water and power, not waste, fraud and abuse.”

-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us.

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