Council Softens Stand on Breakaway

The Los Angeles City Council sought to reach a compromise Tuesday with the authors of secession bills in Sacramento by adopting a more flexible position on breaking up the city.

The council voted 9 to 3 to adopt a “statement of principle” that supports any legislation that would eliminate the council’s power to veto a secession movement as long as all city residents can vote on a breakup.

In the past, the council has supported nullifying its veto power if a citywide vote were taken but also insisted that any secession legislation apply to all cities in the state and that a full financial analysis be completed before a secession vote is taken.

Tuesday’s motion by Councilman Mike Feuer, whose district stretches from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside, eliminates the requirement for an analysis and the need for legislation to apply to all cities.

Feuer said the action is “clearly an attempt to reach a consensus” on a bill that the city and state lawmakers can agree upon.

He noted that an analysis is already required by the Local Agency Formation Commission.

Council members Rita Walters, Mike Hernandez and Richard Alatorre voted against the motion.

Although the vote does not declare the city’s position on any of the three secession bills in Sacramento, it gives the city the flexibility to work with state lawmakers.

The council’s vote was welcome news to Jeff Brain, a co-founder of Valley VOTE, a group formed to support a previous secession bill drafted by former Assemblywoman Paula Boland.

“We are happy with what they did today,” he said, adding that the vote shows that the council is willing to compromise.

The council had opposed Boland’s bill because it would have eliminated the council’s veto and allowed a secession with only the vote of the area that seeks to break away.

“We don’t believe in a council veto, but it should be a citywide vote,” said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg.

The Boland bill failed last year after bitter debate among state and local lawmakers.

Last month, two Assembly members joined forces and co-sponsored a compromise secession bill that would remove the council’s veto power in favor of a citywide vote.

A separate bill by state Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer also eliminates the council veto, provided that a citywide vote takes place.

A third bill by Assemblyman Tony Cardenas calls for eliminating the council veto, but only if a breakaway community can muster a two-thirds majority vote for secession.