Wachs Seek to Put Downtown Arena Proposal Before Voters

Adding another wrinkle in the debate over whether city taxpayers should help bring a sports arena complex to downtown Los Angeles, Councilman Joel Wachs on Monday said he will introduce a motion to the City Council today that would submit the still-evolving proposal to voters during the June municipal election.

Wachs’ ballot proposal comes less than a week after a group of Los Angeles residents filed papers to launch a petition drive of their own. According to documents filed Thursday, backers want any public money spent on the arena project after Nov. 14 to be contingent on voter approval. If that drive qualifies for the June ballot and is approved, the city would then have to seek voter permission for taxpayer participation in the arena project.

A Wachs deputy said Monday that the call by his boss for a second ballot measure could help expedite the process. If the first measure is approved, said Greg Nelson, voters could pass judgment on a city deal simultaneously, thus saving developers some time.

Arena backers, however, have said it would only complicate matters and perhaps force the developers to abandon the Los Angeles site. Developers have said they must break ground by September in order to open the complex in time for the 1999-2000 National Basketball Assn. and National Hockey League seasons.