Commission Deals Setback ot Valley Secession Drive

A request to grant petitioners another 30 days to gather signatures in their bid for possible secession of the San Fernando Valley from the city of Los Angeles was rejected Wednesday by the Local Agency Formation Commission.

LAFCO, the state authority that may ultimately decide whether to place Valley secession on the ballot, ruled that only the California Legislature or a state court has the power to give the petitioners the extra 30 days.

The city attorney’s office had asked LAFCO to grant the extension as a way to compensate Valley VOTE, the group leading the campaign, for being barred illegally from circulating petitions at a widely attended air show at Van Nuys Airport in July.

Valley VOTE must collect 135,000 signatures from voters by Aug. 27 to trigger a LAFCO study on how the creation of an independent Valley city would affect Los Angeles. The commission also would decide whether to put secession on the ballot for a citywide vote.

Despite Wednesday’s setback for Valley VOTE, state law requires LAFCO to grant a 15-day extension if the group’s petition drive falls short, said Lloyd Pellman, LAFCO attorney and senior assistant council for Los Angeles County.

However, Valley VOTE would only be eligible for the extra 15 days if LAFCO determines that the group failed to collect enough valid petition signatures--an accounting and verification process that might not be completed for three months after the Aug. 27 deadline, Pellman said.