Bernson, Holden Slam Notification of Levy

Los Angeles city councilmen from the San Fernando Valley and South Los Angeles Friday protested the 826,000 notices sent out this week about a proposed assessment district to raise funds for landscaping and park improvements.

The notices have generated anger and confusion among residents who may have to pay a levy to bring in an estimated $25 million over the next 30 years. The annual fee would average $18.45 for a typical single-family home.

The notices neglected to say that the assessment must first win the support of voters.

Adding to the confusion is that some city departments--such as Recreation and Parks--were not warned that the notices had been sent out and could not answer questions from angry callers.

Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents parts of the northwest Valley, issued a terse statement Friday demanding that city staffers who oversaw the notification process explain to the council what went wrong.

“Our district office answered hundreds of calls over the past two days. People came in person and they were very, very angry,” he said. “It is unconscionable that this has happened. The departments responsible have a lot of explaining to do.”

Councilman Nate Holden, who represents parts of South Los Angeles, went a step further, calling the notices illegal because they were printed up two weeks before the council voted to move ahead with the assessment district.

“A certain arrogance has taken over at the expense of the taxpayers,” Holden said.