ELECTIONS / CITY COUNCIL : Challengers Attack 4 Incumbents as Doing Too Little : Politics: Incumbents cite accomplishments in fending off charges that they’ve let community needs go unsolved.

For central Los Angeles residents, the City Council campaign leading up to Tuesday’s primary has been characterized by harsh criticism directed at incumbents by challengers dissatisfied with the level of service in their districts.

Incumbents John Ferraro (District 4), Mark Ridley-Thomas (District 8), Nate Holden (District 10), and Richard Alatorre (District 14), found themselves responding to charges that they have fallen far short of serving community needs.

The District 10 race, in which Holden faces challengers Stan Sanders and Kevin Ross, has been especially nasty. The candidates, primarily Holden and Sanders, regularly engaged in bitter confrontations, often attacking each other personally. The race is considered close.

Here are brief descriptions of local districts and the candidates for those seats, which consist of four-year terms:

District 4 (all or parts of North Hollywood, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Griffith Park and the Fairfax district.)

Incumbent: Ferraro, 70, of Hancock Park, was appointed to the council in 1966. Other council members credit his success to his focusing on constituent services and avoiding contentious issues. Ferraro, a former Police Commission president who is now the council president, touts his support for community-based policing and takes credit for helping secure federal aid after the Northridge earthquake.

Challenger: Linda W. Lockwood, 52, of Hancock Park, is a civic organizer who works for her husband Simon’s construction company. Lockwood, a first-time candidate, said she is running against Ferraro because she believes he is unresponsive to residents.

District 8 (all or parts of Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District, Leimert Park, University Park, Vermont Knolls and South-Central Los Angeles.)

Incumbent: Ridley-Thomas, 40, lives in Leimert Park with his wife, Avis, and their twin sons, Sebastian and Sinclair, 7. Elected in 1991, he calls his first term highly productive, helping generate about $30 million in new development projects in the district.

Challengers:

Cal Burton, 49, of Baldwin Hills, is a divorced father of three daughters. Burton, a longtime broadcaster and businessman, is a first-time council candidate. He has accused Ridley-Thomas of arrogance in dealing with residents.

Addie Miller, 45, of South-Central Los Angeles, is single and has no children. The self-described community advocate said she considers Ridley-Thomas arrogant and out of touch with many residents.

District 10 (all or parts of the Crenshaw district, Mid-City, Koreatown and West Adams.)

Incumbent: Holden, 65, who lives near Baldwin Hills, has been a councilman since 1987. His council colleagues consider Holden a master of constituent services. He says his experience as a state senator and as an aide to former County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn make him effective when city programs need county or state support.

Challengers:

Stan Sanders, 52, of Mid-City, is a lawyer and former member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, the city Recreation and Parks Commission and the Coliseum Commission. Sanders promises to double police foot patrols, improve programs for senior citizens and expand after-school programs for children. Sanders ran for mayor in 1993 and received more 10th district votes than did Holden, who also ran in the primary.

Kevin Ross, 31, of Genesee Avenue, is a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who works in Inglewood and hosts a Sunday talk show on radio station KACE-FM (103.9). He has been on leave from both jobs during the campaign. Ross, who was raised in South-Central, said that his knowledge as a prosecutor will help him work with police and court officials to develop anti-crime programs.

District 14 (all or parts of Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park and Eagle Rock.)

Incumbent: Alatorre, 51, lives in Monterey Hills with his wife, Angie. He has two adult sons, including Darrell Alatorre, 29, his campaign manager. Alatorre, a 10-year council veteran, is a former state assemblyman. He says he’s especially proud of helping develop youth programs and pushing for more police protection.

Challenger: Alvin Parra, 26, of El Sereno, is single and is making his first run at a council seat. Parra, a community organizer, has called the well-known incumbent ineffective. Basic services such as street repairs are lacking, and joblessness, gang violence and graffiti are serious problems for residents, he says.

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Charter Amendments on Ballot

Los Angeles voters go to the polls Tuesday to choose City Council representatives in four local districts: 4, 8, 10 and 14. Eight proposed amendments to the City Charter are also on the ballot. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information on polling places and the ballot, call (213) 485-3581.

* Charter Amendment 1: Would revise the city’s contracting and purchasing procedures and method of payment for materials and supplies.

* Amendment 2: Would give the mayor and council sole responsibility for the appointment and removal of top administrative officers.

* Amendment 3: Calls for the Police Commission to appoint an inspector general to help oversee the Police Department.

* Amendment 4: Would increase membership of the Board of Administration of the City Employees Retirement System from five to seven.

* Amendment 5: Would permit the City Employees Retirement System to pay its administrative expenses directly from retirement and assets.

* Amendment 6: Would permit the City Employees Retirement System to designate legal entities, such as a trust or charity, as beneficiaries of members’ retirement and death benefits.

* Amendment 7: Would amend portions of the charter that apply to fire and police pensions to conform with recent changes to federal tax regulations.

* Amendment 8: Would allow the Department of Airports to create separate revenue and expense accounts under certain circumstances.