Worthy Measures : Some local ballot proposals worth supporting

While all Los Angeles County voters will face the usual array of hotly contested state and local races as well as complex statewide ballot propositions on Nov. 3, some voters will also be asked to decide one or more specifically local ballot measures.

In other editorials we have expressed our views about the L.A. city and L.A. County ballot propositions; the subject here is ballot issues in localities within L.A. County outside of the city. In some cases these local decisions concern matters of a highly technical or marginal nature. But others are of considerable general interest indeed. The Times has selected a few to especially recommend for approval:

HAWTHORNE: Requiring two-thirds approval, Proposition Q would hike taxes on local utilities to generate $3 million a year that local officials insist would be spent to increase the police force by almost a third. No one likes new taxes, but given the state budget crunch, Prop. Q is a measured approach to coping with crime in a long recession. Voters should approve it.

LAWNDALE: At first glance Proposition F may appear of only minor interest--if passed, it would give this city a comprehensive long-term general plan, as required by state law. But it could have the major effect of untangling the legal mess surrounding a number of development projects that cannot go forward because Lawndale in fact has no general plan in force. The plan represented by Prop. F has been approved by the City Council and by the city’s Planning Commission and deserves passage.

LONG BEACH: Requiring two-thirds approval, Proposition H would levy a special police tax on property owners to finance an expansion of the Police Department. In July the City Council decided not to renew the city’s contract with the Sheriff’s Department. One hundred new officers could be funded by Prop. H, to complement the 49 the city expects to hire in January to replace the sheriff’s deputies. Vote “yes” on Prop. H.

Another Long Beach issue is Proposition I, a charter amendment that would help ease political gridlock by increasing the mayor’s powers. Prop. I, which requires a majority vote, was drawn up by an 18-member nonpartisan group called the Citizens Task Force for Effective City Government. Maintaining that Long Beach is “a community adrift,” the task force called for a strengthening of the mayor’s powers to enhance citywide leadership. The measure represents a necessary improvement in civic government. Vote “yes” on Prop. I.

PASADENA: Embroiled in one of those potentially community-splitting fights that pit measured growth against very slow or almost no growth, Pasadena is looking for a way out. Its answer is Proposition O, a thoughtful measure that if passed would extricate the city from a number of legal problems and provide a basis for future planning and development. While perhaps not as letter-perfect as its critics insist such a plan needs to be, it has received the unanimous endorsement of the City Council and would supersede an existing initiative that is too restrictive on development.

SANTA MONICA: Proposition S is a simple-majority amendment that would modernize city government by changing the 1946 charter. Its provisions would erase some antiquated requirements and enhance some of the City’s Council’s powers. It is obviously needed.

Proposition T, which would require two-thirds for passage, is a $23-million authorization for general obligation bonds to finance the improvement and expansion of certain facilities at highly regarded Santa Monica Community College. The cost to the average homeowner would be about $26 a year; the gain to the city in the improvement of this vital local educational institution, which serves area senior citizens as well as younger students, would far exceed that.