Secession Leaders Fight Police Bond Measure

Secessionists have launched a campaign against a $600-million police bond measure, arguing Monday that San Fernando Valley residents should not pay for improvements they might not share.

Valley VOTE Chairman Richard Close and Harbor Study Foundation Director Andrew Mardesich are among seven secessionists who signed the ballot argument against the proposed police bond measure, to be decided by voters in March.

The city has contended in talks over a possible breakup of Los Angeles that residents of a new Valley city would have no ownership interest in assets such as parks and police stations--a position secessionists sought to turn in their favor.

“People are outraged,” Close said. The city attorney’s legal opinion holds that the city may not be forced to give up assets to the Valley without its consent or compensation.

That position is cited in a written ballot argument against the police bonds that was released Monday.

“According to Mayor Hahn and the City Council, we the people pay for all city assets but own nothing,” according to the argument drafted by Close for inclusion in the city’s official ballot pamphlet.

“The city now asks us to pay for more buildings that we will not own! If a majority of us vote for the Valley, the Harbor, and/or Hollywood to become independent cities, the communities would not own the facilities--but would be saddled with the liabilities and the tax increase,” the argument said.

If approved by two-thirds of the voters, the March 5 bond measure would authorize Los Angeles to issue $600 million in bonds to pay for a new emergency operations center downtown as well as replacement of the West Valley, Hollenbeck, Rampart and Harbor police stations, which are old and cramped.

About $70 million would be used to construct a building for the Valley Operations Bureau and Valley Traffic Division, now sharing space in Van Nuys.

Los Angeles officials who support the bonds said the new police facilities are needed now and the opponents’ argument is a red herring.

Council President Alex Padilla said the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, has not even decided whether Valley and Harbor cityhood proposals will be put to voters.

“Voters should approve the bond measure, because the public safety needs are immediate,” Padilla said. “Given the uncertainty about when secession would be on the ballot, and uncertainty about whether such a measure will pass, it would be irresponsible to use that as a wedge issue.”

Mayor James K. Hahn was joined by Cardinal Roger Mahony, Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and Fire Chief William Bamattre in signing the ballot argument favoring the bonds.

The city is talking with secessionists about transferring Valley assets once an agreement is reached guaranteeing that Los Angeles does not suffer financial hardship, Hahn said.

“The city is negotiating to ensure that local assets go to the Valley after the city is made whole,” said Julie Wong, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

Mardesich said the offering of a new station in the Harbor area was not enough to persuade him to support the bond measure.

It was Valley opposition that led to the rejection of two police-facility bond measures in the last 10 years, but secessionists did not play as large a role as they appear to be now planning.

The secessionists who signed the ballot argument against the bond measure are listed in the pamphlet with positions other than those involving cityhood groups. Close is listed as president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. and Mardesich is listed as president of the San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United.

The ballot argument against the bond measure also is signed by Valley VOTE board members Walter Prince, Bill Powers Jr., John Walker, Carlos Ferreyra and Tony Pasano. All are listed with positions not involving Valley VOTE, which is not allowed by its bylaws to take a position in a political contest.

Leaders of the Valley and Harbor groups joined forces last year to oppose a $532-million bond measure for new fire stations and animal shelters, but their efforts were minimal and the measure was approved by the voters.

This time is different, they say, because the city has taken the public position that its assets in the Valley and Harbor area cannot be forcibly taken if there is a breakup.

“That [opinion] is coming back to bite them. Because of the city attorney ruling, this campaign has taken on a whole new twist,” Close said.

The anti-bond argument is also signed by Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., and Ernest Dynda, president of United Organizations of Taxpayers.

The written argument also said it is “irresponsible” to raise city taxes in a recession, the bond measure will not pay to hire more police officers, the city has not completed police stations promised in a 1989 bond measure, and there are not enough police officers to staff existing buildings.