Response Sought to LAFCO Study

A San Fernando Valley cityhood group is launching a campaign this weekend to gather public input on a financial study on secession that was recently released by the Local Agency Formation Commission.

Valley VOTE’s mail campaign for responses from community groups and residents is part of its own 45-day effort to analyze and respond to the Initial Fiscal Analysis, according to Jeff Brain, the group’s president.

“We are encouraging people to provide input,” Brain said. “It will tell us where their priorities are.”

The financial study found that a new Valley city is financially feasible and would be able to operate at a surplus, even after it makes $68 million in ‘alimony’ payments to the rest of Los Angeles to keep the shrunken city financially whole. However, it also identified issues that need to be settled, such as contracting for electricity and water from the Department of Water and Power.

Meanwhile, the head of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. announced Friday her group has formed a task force to conduct its own independent analysis of the financial study and possibly help the group take a position on cityhood. VICA Chairwoman Cathy Maguire said the group only has a few weeks to challenge assumptions in the study and make recommendations on how a new Valley city might be organized.

“Their challenge,” Maguire said of the task force, “is to objectively seek out information and resources on the issue, provide meaningful input on the 340-plus page report and communicate their findings to VICA membership and interested stakeholders through forums, debates and potentially, through a VICA position on the special reorganization issue.”