LA property owners send a message to the city: No confidence

LA property owners have rejected new streetlight fees in a special vote — by an 80-20 margin.It is a massive vote of no confidence in the City Council.The council had asked property owners to approve a special assessment to cover the rising cost of maintaining streetlights, many of which have been damaged by copper thieves.The council also wanted to install solar streetlights in an effort to meet its “green” goals.One might have expected the assessment to pass, just as a sales tax passed in LA County last month. Instead — total rejection.Granted, the vote — a special election under Proposition 2018 — was limited to property owners.And the more your property was worth, the more your vote was weighted.Plus, the mail-in ballots had to arrive by Election Day to be counted.If the city’s residents as a whole had been able to vote, under the usual California rules, it is possible the assessment would have passed.But the old rules, from an earlier generation, prevailed.

And the property owners had their say.Their message is clear: Property owners have had enough of the city’s negligence, wasteful spending and poor management. They know they are not getting value for their money.  California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story In recent years, those who pay property taxes in LA have had to struggle with homeless encampments on their doorsteps, which the city has been slow to remove; wildfires that the city could not put out, for lack of fire engines and water; a crime wave that erupted after radical protesters demanded cuts in police funding; and schools that remained closed for more than a year during the pandemic, leaving an entire generation of children with major gaps in their education.Adding insult to injury, the City Council has often continue...