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Inching Toward an Independent East L.A.

Nine thousand signatures needed to begin new cityhood analysis.

By Gloria Angelina Castillo, EGP Staff Writer

Under the Whittier Boulevard arch last Friday, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and the East Los Angeles Residents Association (ELARA) united to announce a petition drive that could take the area one step closer to becoming an independent city.  Nine thousand signatures are needed to begin a new analysis that could put the measure on the county ballot.

EGP Photo by Gloria Angelina Castillo

Senator Romero affirmed that East Los Angeles is ready to gain its independence.

“It’s time we have a government of the people, by the people and for the people,” said Romero.  “What we see is promise and possibility.  If we were to become a city, we would be the tenth largest city in the county, and we’d be a force to reckon with in Sacramento.”

Yobany Chacon, Secretary of ELARA, explained that the signatures would authorize the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to begin an analysis of the current revenues generated in East Los Angeles.

“It would be the first time that we are able to get pertinent information about East Los Angeles’ financial status to the city and the community,” said Chacon.

A year ago, a financial analysis was completed which calculated the expenses of the area.  A new report by LAFCO would show whether the area is able to sustain itself through the locally generated taxes.

The last time East Los Angeles was studied by LAFCO was in 1974, when Richard Nixon was president. Since then, East Los Angeles has been chipped away by surrounding cities or by areas gaining cityhood.

Alberto Palacios, the resident’s association parliamentarian, said the road to cityhood would not be easy, fast, or without costs, but he believes the effort would be worth it. Palacios said the analysis will indicate how East Los Angeles’ taxes are being spent.  With cityhood, he believes the residents could decide how to use those funds.

“Under the fiscal analysis, we saw that the tax revenues of 400 local businesses were not being used to benefit the residents of East Los Angeles,” Palacios said.  “They [county officials] believe we are being under billed—but we think we are being over billed.”

Steve Acevedo, who owns Mission Furniture on Whittier Blvd., says he is for the cityhood of East Los Angeles.

“Our business has been here for 38 years,” said Acevedo, “and in this time, the county has done a lot of things we did not agree with and we had no one to get a hold of with our concerns.  If we had a city council, we would have someone to go to.”

Acevedo says that a city council would probably listen to business owners because it’s in the city’s best interest that businesses maintain and increase their sales tax revenues.

According to the Initial Fiscal Analysis (IFA) completed by the Beverly Burr Associates, a sum of $17 million is currently contributed by East Los Angeles to pay for countywide services.  The Executive Summary of the IFA estimated that East Los Angeles’ incorporation would still have a positive fiscal effect of about seven million dollars on the county.

The financial analysis estimates that East Los Angeles pays more for Sheriff services than cities with a similar population size, the quantity is calculated in excess of $11 million.

Oscar Gonzáles, president of ELARA, believes there is a “strong possibility” that East Los Angeles is being over charged.

“We feel that there is a serious neglect in tax revenue transparency,” Gonzáles told EGP.

But according to Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, the actual costs calculated by the county are not inflated and if East Los Angeles were to become a city, the contract with the Sheriff’s Department could increase by a small margin.

“The California Highway Patrol currently looks over traffic in East Los Angeles,” said Whitmore in an interview with EGP.  “The CHP is paid by the county and if East Los Angeles were to become a city, the CHP services would be assumed by the Sheriff’s Department which currently looks over parks.”

Whitmore says police services in East Los Angeles wouldn’t necessarily change with cityhood because the Sheriff currently “provides quality service” to the area in the same way it does to other areas and cities.

Supervisor Gloria Molina, who expressed concern over the initial analysis last year, remains neutral about East Los Angeles’ cityhood.

“It is important to us that proponents—and opponents—be upfront about the facts,” said Roxane Márquez, spokeswoman for Supervisor Molina.

Kathy Ledesma Ochoa, who lives in Pasadena, grew up in the East Los Angeles.  She says it’s been obvious to her that a city receives more services and benefits.

“I grew up on the border of East L.A. on Alma Street,” said Ochoa.  “On one side of the street, the houses had sidewalks and the other side the houses didn’t.”

But not everyone is convinced East Los Angeles should become a city. Elia Orozco, 43, has been a resident for 20 years and owns rental properties. Orozco, accompanied by her two sons, refused to sign the petition.

“Why do they want to make it a city?  So they can take more money!” said Orozco.  “And from whom?  From those who have it.  And they’ll give it away to those who don’t have it.”

Possible tax increases were not discussed at the news conference.

East Los Angeles has approximately 145,000 residents; it is believed that approximately a third of the residents are undocumented immigrants. The petition needs to be signed by 25 percent of registered voters (9,000 voters) in the area for the LAFCO analysis to begin.

The new city would be responsible for funding and maintaining: streets, parks, recreation, solid waste, land use, economic development, parking and code enforcement services, and the police and fire departments.

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