Local News in Brief : Plans for Mosquito Abatement Advance
Los Angeles County supervisors have taken the first step toward forming a mosquito abatement district throughout the San Gabriel Valley, thus making their second effort to get 25 valley cities or residents to pay the cost of eradicating the pests.
The board, advised that a mosquito-borne encephalitis virus stills exists in the area, decided to file an application for formation of the district and to lobby San Gabriel Valley cities to join. Participation is voluntary.
San Marino and South El Monte, which already are members of a mosquito district, and Pasadena, which has its own eradication program, would not be asked to join, county officials said.
The district would be established after hearings by the Local Agency Formation Commission.
A similar county proposal stalled in 1987 after receiving little support from 25 San Gabriel Valley cities. Only 27 cities in the entire county neither support an abatement district nor have their own programs, officials said.
The cities were reluctant to split the costs--now about $325,000 annually--because the money would have to come from general funds.
Under the new plan, a property tax of about $2 per parcel per year would pay for the abatement district, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
