Tax Proposal for More Police, 6 Other Measures OKd for Vote

The City Council on Tuesday gave final approval to placing a controversial measure on the June 2 ballot that would increase taxes in large portions of South-Central Los Angeles to put 300 more police officers on the street in that crime-plagued area.

The proposal was one of seven covering a wide range of subjects put on the June ballot Tuesday. Other measures would permit the council to change election dates that conflict with religious holidays, close loopholes in the city’s campaign law and authorize the sale of $500 million in revenue bonds to finance improvements to the city’s deteriorating sewer system.

The most controversial proposal--a $148-a-year property tax increase for the average homeowner in South-Central Los Angeles--was given a spot on the ballot by a 10-3 vote after an emotional plea for support by black ministers and Councilman Robert Farrell.

Citing the high crime rate in his South-Central Los Angeles district, Farrell told his colleagues, “You wouldn’t tolerate it in your community.”

Councilman Gilbert W. Lindsay added, “The crime in the area is much more costly than what the tax is going to be.”

Unlike the other six measures that will go before voters citywide, the police tax will be voted on only in affected areas of South-Central Los Angeles and must be approved by two-thirds of the voters.

The three council members who opposed the tax were Hal Bernson, Joan Milke Flores and Joel Wachs. Wachs said he feared that the tax plan would set a “dangerous precedent” for other essential city services, putting more affluent communities at an advantage.

“You will rue the day when you make ability to pay the criteria for delivery of city services,” Wachs said.

Other measures put on the ballot are:

- A charter amendment that supporters say would close loopholes in the city’s campaign reform law. It would give the city clerk power to subpoena campaign records. That would end a roadblock faced by city investigators in the case of Councilman Richard Alatorre, accused last year of violating the campaign law. Alatorre declined to turn over his papers to city officials, hampering the probe, which ended with Alatorre agreeing to pay a $141,966 fine.

- A $500-million bond issue that would be used to partly finance a $2.3-billion program to upgrade the city’s antiquated sewer system. The program is partly in response to a federal mandate to increase treatment of sewage dumped into Santa Monica Bay. The bonds would be repaid through increased sewer service charges, sewer hookup fees and an industrial waste surcharge. The average household charge of $5.50 per month now is expected to increase to $5.65 next year, and residential sewer charges will rise gradually to $11 per month in 1994.

- Two charter amendments that would allow the council to reschedule elections that conflict with religious holidays and other times that might reduce voter turnout. One amendment would allow the council to change city elections; the other permits rescheduling of school board elections. The measures stem from objections raised by Orthodox Jews to the April 14 city election, which falls on Passover. Forbidden by religious law to write on holy days, Orthodox Jews cannot sign their names in the polling place on Passover.

- A charter amendment permitting the city attorney to prepare the official title and a “fair and impartial” summary of city ballot initiatives.

- A charter amendment allowing initiatives to be put on the ballot in the next city election instead of the next citywide election, as now required.