Valley Secession Leader Assails City’s Proposal

A San Fernando Valley secession leader denounced as “extortion” a proposal by Los Angeles officials to determine whether a municipal divorce would harm the remainder of the city.

The city attorney’s office concluded that under state law Los Angeles would be harmed if Valley cityhood results in Los Angeles losing more revenue than is needed to cover existing expenses.

Valley VOTE Chairman Richard Close, an attorney, said this means if the Valley now generates more tax money than it receives in services, it would have to continue subsidizing the rest of the city with annual payments that would perpetuate the inequity.

“To maintain an unfair system, what this [opinion] is saying is ‘if you want to leave the city, you have to pay us alimony or extortion,’ ” Close said.

The legal opinion was written by Special Assistant City Atty. Frederick N. Merkin. A City Council panel is scheduled today to decide whether to forward Merkin’s opinion to the county counsel.

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Merkin said the opinion is based on state law and the intent of legislators who drafted the law.

“For the city of Los Angeles, a net loss resulting from an excess of lost revenue over current expenditures would mean a reduction in municipal services for the public served by the city unless other revenue sources could be found,” Merkin wrote.