2 Bond Measures Combined on Ballot
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday agreed to combine two bond measures into one $532-million initiative that will ask voters in November to pay for upgrading and building fire stations and animal shelters in selected sections of the city.
In recent weeks, the council has debated whether the issues should be merged on the ballot. Some members have also questioned if the bonds favor only those sections of the city that would receive the money.
On Wednesday, the council voted 11 to 3 to unite the fire and animal shelter requests in a single bond measure. Council members Laura Chick, Nick Pacheco and Rudy Svorinich opposed the move.
The measure includes $378 million for the city Fire Department to upgrade or build 19 fire stations. This includes sites in North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Watts, San Pedro and Hollywood. The money would also be used to replace the Air Operations and Helicopter Maintenance Facility at Van Nuys Airport.
The bond will also raise $154.1 million to upgrade the city’s six animal shelters and to build two facilities--one in the east San Fernando Valley and one in South-Central Los Angeles.
Two-thirds of the city’s voters must approve the bond measure.
Last year, the city failed to win a two-thirds vote needed for a $744-million combined police and fire bond measure.
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