Local News in Brief : Cityhood Campaign Adds 585 Signatures

A door-to-door campaign conducted Saturday by proponents of cityhood for the Santa Clarita Valley added signatures of 585 registered voters to their petitions, it was reported Monday.

The petitions propose that Canyon County, Castaic, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia become one city, a City Feasibility Committee official said.

Louis Garasi, committee co-chairman, said the committee has gathered 4,475 of the 13,000 signatures it needs to present the proposal to the county Local Agency Formation Commission. Volunteer Jan Heidt, who collected 61 signatures, won the prize for obtaining the most names on petitions, he said.

Garasi said he was “reasonably pleased” with results of the committee’s first signature-gathering effort throughout the entire community, although fewer volunteers participated than had been expected. Garasi estimated that between 35 and 40 people took part, and said he hopes volunteers will collect more signatures on March 15.

Eventually, Garasi said, the committee will set up tables in shopping centers. Having to return to the homes of voters who were not at home has slowed the effort, he said.