Denial of L.A.’s Request on Hollywood Split Is Urged

The executive officer of the commission that put Hollywood secession on the Nov. 5 ballot recommended Friday that the panel reject a city of Los Angeles request that the decision be reconsidered.

Larry Calemine, in a report to the Local Agency Formation Commission, said the city failed to show the decision calling for the secession election was based on faulty fiscal analysis.

Calemine also said the commission should stand by a second decision to hold at-large elections for five Hollywood city council seats. Civil rights groups have said the elections should be held by district to avoid diluting Latino voter strength.

But Calemine cited a study by redistricting expert Stephen P. Klein that concluded: “Hispanic-preferred candidates would win as many, if not more, council seats under the system adopted by LAFCO as they would under a district system.”

Alan Clayton of the Latino Redistricting Coalition said he would review Calemine’s report before deciding whether to file a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department about the at-large plan.

Calemine said the city did not support its position that an independent Hollywood should pay the remainder of Los Angeles $73.1 million annually if secession wins. LAFCO has set the figure at $21.4 million for the first year, with gradually decreasing payments for the next 20 years.

“This is exactly what we expected,” said Leigh Bailey, a spokeswoman for the Hollywood secession group.

Los Angeles officials said LAFCO underestimated the tax revenue the city would lose if Hollywood seceded. They said LAFCO also failed to consider centralized costs the remaining city would still have to cover.

Also, city officials said increasing the separation payment to $73.1 million would leave Hollywood unable to survive on its own, so the secession measure should come off the ballot. LAFCO will consider the city’s claims and Calemine’s report on July 26.

The panel earlier this month rejected similar claims by the city regarding the Valley secession measure, which is on the same ballot.