West Hollywood : Gambling Club Initiative

Backers of a referendum to create a legalized gambling club in West Hollywood failed to gather enough signatures in time to place an initiative on the November ballot. But they did collect more than enough to qualify a measure for the next municipal election in April, 1992.

City Clerk Mary Tyson said proponents of the initiative needed 15% of the city’s 20,000 voters--or about 3,000 signatures--to put a gambling initiative on the November general election ballot. They turned in 4,397 signatures supporting the initiative, but only 2,600 were ruled valid by the county registrar-recorder.

Tyson said gambling proponents collected enough signatures to qualify the measure for the next regular city election. Under the state Election Code, a measure that receives the valid signatures of more than 10% of the registered voters but less than 15% does not warrant a special election but is put on the ballot of the next scheduled municipal election.

Proponents say the club could generate from $5 million to $10 million annually for the city, or about 10% of the club’s estimated gross revenues. The initiative requires the city to use three-fourths of its share of the revenues for the elderly, increased law enforcement, gay and lesbian services, and the revitalization of the city’s east end, where the club is to be located.

Bruce Decker, a spokesman for the West Hollywood Club Initiative Committee, urged the City Council to move the election to November. The council will takes up the matter at its meeting next month.

But others disagreed. “The council should put this evil off as long as possible and, hopefully, these people will fold their tents and go away,” said one of the opponents, community activist Jeanne Dobrin.