Council Panel Says Valley, Harbor Must Pay to Secede

A Los Angeles City Council panel voted 3-2 on Friday to support a legal opinion that could require new cities in the San Fernando Valley and Harbor to pay Los Angeles as a condition of secession.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Secession recommended that the full council submit the opinion by the city attorney’s office to county officials deciding the rules for breaking up Los Angeles.

Councilmen Joel Wachs of Studio City and Rudy Svorinich Jr. of San Pedro voted against submitting the opinion, saying it would force breakaway areas to make payments to the rest of Los Angeles if they have paid more in taxes than the amount of services they receive.

The opinion said Los Angeles would be harmed if the revenue lost through secession is greater than what is needed to cover current expenses.

“I see this as the stake in the heart of this endeavor,” Svorinich said.

However, Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski said the legal opinion only reflects the city attorney’s reading of state law and the legislative intent behind the state law aimed at preventing harm in municipal divorces.

In a related matter, City Administrative Officer Bill Fujioka told the committee that the city may not be able to meet deadlines in the next two months for providing data needed by an agency studying the cityhood proposals.

Some data requested by the Local Agency Formation Commission by June 26 may not be available until Aug. 28, officials said. The two sides plan to meet next week to discuss the timing of the release of data for the study, Fujioka said.