Council OKs $171-Million LAPD Bond Measure for June Ballot : Police: Plan would raise property taxes $10 annually for the average household to fund station expansion and replacement projects. Riordan indicates support.

After a contentious, two-hour debate, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to place a $171-million bond measure on the June ballot that would increase property taxes to build police stations and expand crowded facilities citywide.

Councilman Richard Alarcon had originally proposed a $100-million bond measure to build two stations in the San Fernando Valley and Mid-Wilshire areas. But the measure was increased to $171 million and 10 other expansion projects were included amid heated debate and a flurry of nasty exchanges.

In the end, critics and supporters of Alarcon’s original proposal agreed that the move to increase the bond measure to $171 million was based on political considerations as much as on the true needs of police.

“This is not what I wanted,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick, the most vocal critic of the original bond measure, adding that she wanted further study on the issue.

If approved by voters, the measure would increase property taxes for an average household by about $10 per year for the next 25 to 30 years.

Alarcon initially proposed a measure that would generate $35 million for each of the two stations as well as an additional $30 million for upgrading projects citywide.

Originally, the Valley and Mid-Wilshire stations were to be built under a $176-million bond measure approved by voters in 1989. But the stations were never built because police and city officials vastly underestimated construction costs.

Alarcon’s measure faced strong opposition from several council members, particularly Chick, who said the proposal was premature because the city had yet to complete a comprehensive study of police needs citywide. Chick has suggested that the council wait at least until the March, 1996, presidential primary election to place a bond measure on the ballot.

Before the vote Tuesday, police and city administrators also urged the council to delay the bond measure until the citywide study of police needs is completed. The LAPD is also awaiting a study on the need to expand Parker Center, the department’s main Downtown headquarters.

Assistant Chief Frank Piersol said the 1989 bond measure failed to pay for all the LAPD projects partly because police and city officials had not first completed a comprehensive study.

But Councilman Mike Hernandez rejected calls for a delay and said he would support the bond measure--if it included an extra $35 million to replace the overcrowded and aging Rampart station near Hollywood.

*

Realizing that Alarcon had enough votes to put the measure on the ballot, Chick rattled off a list of other police expansion projects that the LAPD has requested but that were not funded under the previous bond measure. “If we are going to do it, let’s do it right,” she said.

Alarcon agreed to add the projects to the measure, increasing it to $171 million. It was approved on a 10-1 vote, with Councilwoman Rita Walters dissenting.

But some homeowner leaders said they are skeptical that the bond measure will get the necessary votes, especially in light of broken promises after the 1989 bond measure was approved.

“It’s going to be a tough sell,” said Don Schultz, president of the Van Nuys Homeowners Assn.

Since the measure was proposed two weeks ago, it has created a sticky political situation for city officials such as Chick who believe the proposal was rushed but are leery of seeming to not support police.

Several council members switched positions at the last minute. Council President John Ferraro originally co-signed Alarcon’s measure but, before the vote, told colleagues he would vote against it because he believed it needed further study. In the end, however, he voted for the $171-million measure.

Noelia Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for Mayor Richard Riordan, said the mayor supports the measure passed by the council because it provides citywide police improvement projects.

If approved by voters, the bond measure would provide $35 million for a new Mid-Wilshire station to serve Koreatown and adjacent communities; $35 million for a new Mid-Valley station to serve North Hills, Panorama City, Mission Hills, Arleta and Panorama City; $35 million to replace the Rampart station and $35 million to replace the Hollenbeck station.

Also included would be $7 million to build a parking structure for the Valley police headquarters in Van Nuys; $3 million to add a detective squad room for the West Valley station; $3 million to add a detective squad room for the Harbor station; $3 million to build a parking structure for the Northeast station; $3 million to build a parking structure for the West Los Angeles station; $4 million to build child-care facilities for four police stations; $6 million to expand police training facilities as recommended by the Christopher Commission after the Rodney G. King beating, and $2 million for improvements to various police substations.