L.A. Considers Tax for Street Lighting

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday authorized the city Department of Public Works to look into taxing local merchants and property owners to raise money for street lights in North Hollywood, Panorama City and Sun Valley.

Councilman Richard Alarcon, who along with Councilman Richard Alatorre sponsored the motion, said he supported the creation of local assessment districts as a way to make the community safer.

“It’s been proven that crime can be reduced by as much as 25% if an area is well lit,” Alarcon said. “In my area the community is poorly lit.”

Of the proposed lighting districts, three are in North Hollywood, three are in Panorama City and one is in Sun Valley. It would cost $2.2 million to install lights in all seven areas. If the assessment districts are approved by the council, residential and commercial property owners would be charged fees that would appear on their property tax forms.

According to George Eslinger, director of the Bureau of Street Lighting, a resident who owns a lot with a 50-foot street frontage would pay a onetime fee of about $1,000 for installation costs and approximately $50 a year for maintenance. The installation fee could be paid over 10 years, he said.

A commercial property owner with a similar lot would pay about $1,500 up front and about $100 a year for maintenance, Eslinger said. The costs are higher for commercial landlords because the city believes business areas’ greater pedestrian and automobile traffic requires that they be better lit than residential areas, Eslinger said.

Wednesday’s action by the council directs the Public Works Department to develop a report outlining the details of the program. The report is expected to be considered by the council’s Public Works Committee in about two months. Public hearings will be also be held on the issue.

Two residents from the area said the costs were too high and questioned the fairness of requiring area property owners to pay for street lights. Tony Alcala, a member of the Sun Valley Homeowners Assn., said, “Lighting is a good idea, but we have to weigh the issues. Maybe the city could waive the charges to people who can’t afford it.”