Board Takes Middle Course With Windfall

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had a typical holiday season dilemma Tuesday:

Suddenly in possession of an end-of-the-year windfall, should the supervisors spend it on unglamorous items--like, say, paying the bills--or go on a shopping spree?

Supervisors did a little of both with the $31 million in property tax money the state Legislature gave them this year. The vast majority of the money--which the supervisors cannot count on next year--will go to conservative, one-time projects, such as retrofitting county hospitals or paying rising utility bills.

But supervisors Tuesday also authorized spending $1 million on politically popular projects such as anti-gang programs in the Antelope and San Gabriel valleys and expanded lifeguard services.

The expenditures are significant because the supervisors face a $500-million deficit in five years and every new program is one they may have to cut in the near future. Indeed, the last time they faced such a deficit they continued to add new programs, only to have to make last-minute cuts, which barely held off bankruptcy.

Mindful of that, the majority of supervisors earlier this month blocked efforts to spend millions of dollars on new programs, and instead tried to steer all the funds to the one-time projects.

But because four of the five supervisors must approve new expenditures, the board unveiled its compromise Tuesday. Supervisor Don Knabe, who represents Marina del Rey and the South Bay, got $305,000 to staff and upgrade a rescue boat in the Marina and to initiate 24-hour staffing in lifeguard headquarters.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represents the San Gabriel and Antelope valleys, won $688,000 to expand Sheriff’s Department anti-gang programs. Sheriff Lee Baca will pick up the extra $1.8-million cost for the programs from his own budget, and urged supervisors Tuesday to give him some support.