This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/la/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Los Angeles County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
Measure P
Safe Neighborhood Parks
County of Los Angeles

Special Parcel Tax - 2/3 Approval Required

Fail: 862,224 / 62.89% Yes votes ...... 508,672 / 37.11% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 25 1:07pm, 100% of Precincts Reporting (5,027/5,027)
Information shown below: Summary | Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

To ensure continued funding from an expiring voter-approved measure for improving the safety of neighborhood parks and senior/youth recreation areas; assisting in gang prevention; protecting rivers, beaches, water sources; repairing, acquiring/preserving parks/natural areas; maintaining zoos, museums; providing youth job-training, shall Los Angeles County levy an annual $23/parcel special tax, requiring annual independent financial audits and all funds used locally?

Summary Prepared by Department of
Parks & Recreation:
Summary

Impartial Analysis from By Richard D. Weiss,
Acting County Counsel
Approval of Measure P would authorize the County of Los Angeles ("County") to levy a Special Tax ("Tax") of $23 per parcel of land located in the County. Parcel is defined as any unit of real property that receives an annual secured property tax bill from the County Treasurer and Tax Collector. The Tax would be levied for 30 years beginning on July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2045. The Measure was placed on the ballot by resolution of the County Board of Supervisors ("Board").

In 1992 and 1996, voters approved an annual assessment on parcels of real property within the County for the purpose of development, acquisition, improvement, restoration and maintenance of parks, recreational, cultural and community facilities, and open space lands within the County. The 1992 assessment raises approximately $52,000,000 per year and expires on June 30, 2015. The 1996 assessment raises approximately $28,000,000 per year and expires on June 30, 2019. This Measure is intended to replace the funding provided by the expiring 1992 and 1996 assessments.

The Tax proceeds from this Measure will be used to improve, acquire and develop park and recreation facilities in neighborhoods throughout the County. The allocation and associated purposes of the Tax include, but are not limited to: 20% to cities and unincorporated County areas, apportioned on a per parcel basis, for park and recreation facilities and park safety improvements; 15% to the County for County parks, beaches and clean water/park projects; 30% to the County for regional projects and open space, foothill, mountain, trail, river, wetland and stream projects; 10% to the County for increasing open space and recreational opportunities in underserved communities; 5% for competitive grants to public agencies and non-profit organizations for projects such as trails, senior citizen/youth facilities, urban tree planting, graffiti prevention, river and stream recreation, and natural land restoration, with priority being given to proposals that employ local youth and at-risk youth; 15% for maintenance and servicing of the projects funded by the 1992 and 1996 assessments and this Measure; and 5% for administration.

All laws and procedures for administration and collection of ad valorem property taxes shall apply to this Measure, and the Tax shall be collected by the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector at the same time and manner as ad valorem property taxes. Properties owned by government agencies and also devoted to a public use will not be subject to the Tax. The Tax shall become a lien upon each parcel and is subject to the same penalties imposed for unpaid ad valorem property taxes in the event the Tax is not paid.

The Board shall comply with Government Code section 50075.1 accountability measures including, but not limited to, indicating the specific purposes of the Tax and requiring that Tax proceeds be used only for those purposes; creating an account within which the Tax proceeds shall be deposited; and causing an annual report and independent financial analysis to be prepared reporting all revenues and expenditures of the Tax.

This Measure requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote for passage.

Contact FOR Measure P:
Yes! on Measure P for Safe Neighborhood Parks, a project of the Conservation Campaign, 135 West Green Street, 2nd Floor, Pasadena CA 91105

  News and Analysis

Coverage from 89.3 KPCC

This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure P Arguments Against Measure P
Vote YES on PROPOSITION P!

This measure continues an expiring voter-approved local funding measure for city, county and neighborhood parks/recreation centers that will:

  • Provide safe neighborhood parks for our children, seniors and other residents
  • Reduce gang activity by providing recreational and job training alternatives for at-risk youth
  • Repair, upgrade, maintain and improve our parks/recreation centers
  • Protect our beaches and drinking water and improve water quality in our creeks, rivers and bays
  • Require mandatory oversight of all funds

Give children safe places to play
Proposition P provides neighborhood parks with necessary equipment and facilities to ensure after-school youth programs remain safe. These healthy recreational and educational alternatives are used by thousands of youth, keeping them off the streets and away from gangs, drugs and vandalism.

Repair and upgrade our neighborhood parks/recreation centers
Proposition P repairs and upgrades outdated and unsafe equipment and park/recreational infrastructure, which suffers from termite damage, mold, leaky roofs, poor drainage and unsafe lighting, especially in neighborhoods with the greatest needs.

Protect local water quality, sources and supplies
Proposition P protects local drinking water sources, ensures drinking water is safe at parks/recreation areas and protects our waterways from toxic pollutants that wash onto our beaches, causing residents to get stomach flu, fever and other illnesses each year.

Fiscal accountability
Proposition P requires (by law) annual independent financial audits and public review of expenditures. No money for Sacramento, all funds controlled locally and every community gets its fair share.

Proposition P continues funding from the expiring measure. Losing this funding means tens of millions of dollars in cuts to our park/recreation programs. There is no other countywide source of money for park repairs, upgrades and improvements.

Join us in voting YES on PROPOSITION P!

JACKIE LACEY
District Attorney, Los Angeles County

REV. GREGORY J. BOYLE, S.J.
Homeboy Industries Youth Job Training

RICHARD LICHTENSTEIN
Co-Chair, Greater L.A. Zoo Association

BELINDA V. FAUSTINOS
Retired Executive Director, Rivers & Mountains Conservancy

ZEV YAROSLAVSKY
Los Angeles County Supervisor, District Three

Rebuttal to Arguments For
PROPOSITION P will not reduce crime!

Proponents want you to believe that without this new tax our County parks and recreational programs will be in trouble. Not true! In fact, we currently have $150 million in unallocated park funds! The County park system will not face budget cuts without this tax. It is irresponsible to saddle you with another tax increase when there is no plan to spend all the money from the previous tax!

Remember, this measure is not a continuation of an expiring tax. It is a new tax on all property owners in L.A. County. Property owners already pay for two park measures. One that passed in 1992 and another passed in 1996, which does not expire until 2018 and generates over $28 million annually.

This new tax was rushed to voters without any public outreach, input or discussion.

Before increasing taxes, we need to research park needs and present voters with a comprehensive plan guaranteeing equitable distribution of the funds for specific projects throughout the county. Proposition P does not do this!

Parks are vital to enhancing the quality of life for our county residents. However, residents should not be taxed again until there is a plan to spend all the unallocated revenues.

Join us in voting against excessive taxes and vote NO on Proposition P.

BISHOP HENRY HEARNS

DR. SANDRA E. THOMAS
NAACP State Exec. Bd.

MIKE SPENCE
Councilman, City of West Covina

DON FLEMING
Businessman

DR. CHRISTOPHER LIN
Educator/Businessman/Banker

Measure P is a new tax.

All County residents already pay two park taxes

Now is not the time for a new 30 year tax when the Parks Department already has over $150 million in unspent funds from previous park taxes that voters will continue to pay through 2018.

Before saddling tax payers with yet another new tax, we need a comprehensive plan to spend existing unallocated revenues and a proposal to specify the need for new revenue.

The 2016 election will provide ample time to enlist full public support for an equitable tax plan to fund county projects + two years ahead of the 2018 deadline when the existing tax expires.

Parks are a vital component in enhancing the quality of life for our county residents. However Measure P is a flawed proposal that rushes voters into a $1.6 billion tax hike over 30 years.

Vote no on Measure P

RICKEY GELB
GELB Group, A Family of Companies, San Fernando Valley

JOHN J. KENNEDY
City Councilmember, City of Pasadena

JOHN G. CARLSON
Carlson & Associates

MELVIN WILSON
Mel Wilson & Associates-Realtors

MICHAEL ANTONOVICH
Los Angeles County Supervisor

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Vote Yes on Measure P

The voter-approved Safe Neighborhood Parks and Gang Prevention measure, which has provided critical funds to repair, upgrade, and improve our neighborhood parks/recreation centers, is set to expire next June. This means our communities will lose tens of millions of dollars annually, resulting in reduction or elimination of ongoing repairs and upgrades to our parks/recreational centers and cuts to park programs; including those in parks with the greatest needs.

Measure P simply continues the expiring voter-approved funding so that our communities can:

  • Provide safe neighborhood parks for our children, seniors and other residents
  • Reduce gang activity by providing recreational and job training alternatives for at-risk youth
  • Protect our beaches and drinking water sources, and improve water quality in our creeks, rivers and bays

This measure will continue to fund needed upgrades to neighborhood parks' outdated and unsafe playground equipment; remove mold, asbestos and lead paint; repair leaky roofs, decaying walls and poor drainage; upgrade security lighting; and improve accessibility for the disabled and seniors.

It will also ensure annual independent financial audits to determine that all funds are spent locally, efficiently and effectively.

By law, funds from the new measure cannot be collected until five months after the current measure ends. Therefore, it simply continues voter-approved revenue that we are already paying.

"Parks are a vital component in enhancing the quality of life for our county residents." This is why it is so critical that we vote Yes on Measure P.

JACKIE LACEY
District Attorney, Los Angeles County

GLORIA MOLINA
Los Angeles County Supervisor, First District

BLANCA E. CASTRO
California Advocacy Director, AARP

DIANA POLLARD
Board Member, People for Parks

BRUCE SAITO
Executive Director Emeritus,
LA Conservation Corps Youth Job Training Program


Los Angeles Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: July 23, 2015 14:56 PDT
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://cavotes.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.