‘Malibu: Cityhood and Sewers’
Your excellent reasons for the incorporation of Malibu are equally valid for that of Calabasas: a distinctive identity and a sense of community. Calabasas has a unique history as an old stagecoach stop. Unlike Malibu it does not have a big sewer problem. And unlike Malibu its residents have worked for many years for the opportunity to vote on incorporation.
However, the small arbitrary committee called the state Local Agency Formation Commission continually bounces our hopes up and down. One minute it looks very favorable. Then it is again voted down. County supervisors thus maintain their power over all the unincorporated areas and accept campaign contributions from developers who bypass the desires of local residents who want to participate in the planning process.
LAFCO behaves in completely dictatorial ways, often scrambling figures, to deny the citizens of Calabasas the right to vote on self-government as a city.
RUTH LORING
Calabasas
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