City Urged Not to Contract With County for Services
A Hawthorne citizens’ panel has recommended against contracting with the county for police and fire services, saying new taxes and cutbacks in city expenditures could cover the costs of hiring additional officers and firefighters.
The 10-member panel made its recommendations to the City Council, which convened the committee in December after Hawthorne voters narrowly defeated Proposition D, a property tax measure that would have raised $2.5 million for the city’s Police Department. Panel members were asked to study the Police and Fire departments to satisfy critics who lobbied against the measure, saying the county could provide both services more cheaply.
The panelists spent six months reviewing documents and interviewing city department heads and employees of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire departments. Several members rode with Hawthorne police officers.
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