ORAL TESTIMONY BEFORE ASSEMBLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

SUPERVISOR MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH

April 22, 2009

 

CHAIR:  Anna Caballero

VICE-CHAIR: Steve Knight

 

INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS TO PROVIDE A SEPARATE SEAT ON THE MTA BOARD FOR TWO SUBREGIONS OF THE COUNTY THAT DO NOT SHARE GEOGRAPHY, POPULATION OR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.

 

THE PROBLEM WITH L.A. CITY:

 

THE MTA BOARD CURRENTLY HAS 13 MEMBERS:

·        FOUR LOS ANGELES CITY VOTES

·        FOUR VOTES FOR THE OTHER 87 CITIES

·        FIVE COUNTY SUPERVISORS

 

RIGHT NOW WHAT YOU HAVE AT THE MTA BOARD IS A POKER GAME WHERE ONE PLAYER, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, HOLDS FOUR ACES IN ITS POCKET WHILE THE OTHER 87 CITIES AND 134 UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ARE UNABLE TO GAIN A FAIR HAND WHEN THE CARDS ARE DEALT.

 

THESE FOUR ACES, THE FOUR VOTES FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, ARE REQUIRED TO VOTE UNANIMOUSLY BY THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, OR ELSE THEY WILL BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY.

 

ADD THE TWO SUPERVISORS WHOSE DISTRICTS ARE PRIMARILY L.A. CITY, AND THE CITY STARTS WITH 6 VOTES ON ALMOST EVERY ISSUE WITH EASY ACCESS TO A SEVEN-VOTE MAJORITY.

 

 THIS GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE WAS CREATED NOT TO SERVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY, BUT TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, WITH A MINORITY STAKE IN THE COUNTY, WOULD HAVE A WORKING MAJORITY ON THE MTA BOARD.

 

CITY OF LOS ANGELES IS ONLY 39% OF COUNTY POPULATION AND SHOULD NOT CONTROL THE BOARD WITH A LATENT MAJORITY. 

 

THIS BOARD STRUCTURE EMASCULATES REGIONAL CONSENSUS BUILDING.   INSTEAD OF PUBLIC DEBATE WHAT YOU GET IS A PRE-ORDAINED CONCLUSION BEFORE MOST ITEMS ARE EVEN HEARD.

 

TAX PAYERS DESERVE AN MTA BOARD THAT PROVIDES REPRESENTATION FOR ALL REGIONS OF THE COUNTY AND IS FOCUSED ON PROBLEM-SOLVING AND EQUITY THAN TRANSFERRING TAX DOLLARS INTO ONE CITY’S NEEDS .

 

ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY HAVE DISTINCT AND IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THAT SHOULD BE MET BY THE MTA BOARD.

 

 

 

THE PROBLEM FOR THE NORTH COUNTY:

 

WHEN THE MTA WAS CREATED, FOUR BOARD SEATS WERE GIVEN TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, AND FOUR WERE GIVEN TO THE OTHER 87 CITIES IN THE COUNTY, WHICH REPRESENTED THEN AND NOW A MAJORITY SHARE OF THE COUNTY.

 

ENABLING LEGISLATION CREATED FOUR ‘SECTORS’ FOR THESE 87 CITIES.  THREE SECTORS WERE NATURAL FITS BOTH BY GEOGRAPHY AND TRANSPORTATION NEED:

·        SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR SECTOR

·        SOUTHEAST LONG BEACH SECTOR (NOW CALLED GATEWAY CITIES)

·        SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SECTOR

 

THE FOURTH ‘SECTOR’ FORCED TWO DIVERSE, DISTINCT AND SEPARATE REGIONS OF THE COUNTY TO SHARE ONE SEAT, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING THE VOTING POWER OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.

 

ENABLING LEGISLATION RECOGNIZED THIS SITUATION WHEN IT CALLED FOR THE FOURTH ‘SECTOR’ TO BE NAMED:  “NORTH COUNTY / SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SECTOR”.

 

 

 

WHY NORTH COUNTY DESERVES SEPARATE SEAT ON MTA BOARD:

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES DO NOT SHARE SIMILAR:

·        GEOGRAPHY

·        CHARACTERIZATION BY PUBLIC AGENCIES

·        POPULATIONS

·        TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

 

GEOGRAPHY

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES SEPARATED BY INCREDIBLE DISTANCES FROM SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES

·      LANCASTER TO WESTLAKE VILLAGE IN WEST SFV:  79 MILE DRIVE

·      LANCASTER TO GLENDALE IN EAST SFV: 66 MILE DRIVE

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES SHARE ONLY ONE LINK – THE NEWHALL PASS AT 5/14/405/210 INTERSECTION.

·        SEPARATED BY SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS AND ANGELES NAT’L FOREST

 

 

CHARACTERIZATION BY PUBLIC AGENCIES

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES COMPLETELY OUTSIDE MTA BUS SERVICE ZONE:

·        ONLY SUBREGION OF COUNTY WITH NO MTA SERVICE AT ALL

·        THESE CITIES HAVE TO PROVIDE OWN BUS AGENCIES (SCT & AVTA)

·        SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES OPERATE UNDER MTA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SERVICE SECTOR

 

POPULATIONS

 

·        NORTH COUNTY IS FASTEST GROWING PART OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. 

 

·        NORTH COUNTY PROJECTED TO TRIPLE BY 2030  – UNIQUE PORTION OF L.A. COUNTY

 

·        POPULATION EXPLOSION REQUIRES A FOCUS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT NEW COUNTY RESIDENTS

 

·        DIFFERENT FOCAL POINT THAN SFV CITIES THAT ARE TRYING TO PATCH SOLUTIONS ONTO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE INSTEAD OF CREATING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.


·         

TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

NORTH COUNTY CITIES ARE FOCUSED ON DIFFERENT SET OF TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES THAN SFV CITIES –

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES:

·        HIGH DESERT CORRIDOR:  NEW EXPRESSWAY LINKING PALMDALE TO VICTORVILLE

·        TRUCK LANES ON INTERSTATE 5 TO ACCOMMODATE HEAVY TRUCK TRAFFIC

·        SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON STATE ROUTE 138 BECAUSE OF FATAL TRUCK/CAR ACCIDENTS – “BLOOD ALLEY”

·        TRANSIT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SANTA CLARITA AND ANTELOPE VALLEYS

·        LIGHT RAIL CONNECTION BETWEEN SANTA CLARITA/ANTELOPE VALLEYS TO LOS ANGELES BASIN

 

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES:

·        IMPROVING MTA BUS SERVICE

·        EXTENSION OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT

·        HOV LANES

 

NORTH COUNTY CITIES ALSO PURSUING INNOVATIVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR PROJECT.

·      TWO OF COUNTY’S FOUR VIABLE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS ARE IN NORTH COUNTY – HIGH DESERT CORRIDOR AND SANTA CLARITA I-5 TRUCK LANES

·      NONE ARE IN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES.

WHY THE BOARD MUST BE CHANGED NOW

 

16 YEARS AFTER MTA BOARD WAS CREATED, THE ARTIFICIAL GROUPING OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES AND NORTH COUNTY CITIES NO LONGER WORKS.

 

BOTH REGIONS NEED THEIR SEPARATE VOICE ON THE MTA BOARD NOW.

 

CREATION OF NORTH COUNTY SEAT ON MTA BOARD WOULD PROVIDE A DISTINCT VOICE FROM A SUBURBAN/RURAL, FAST-GROWING POPULATION THAT DIFFERS ENTIRELY FROM REST OF COUNTY.

 

ALSO WOULD ALLOW SFV CITIES TO HAVE ITS OWN VOICE FOR ITS OWN UNIQUE NEEDS, NOT SHARE A SCHIZOPHRENIC SEAT WITH A DISSIMILAR REGION.

 

ENABLING LEGISLATION RECOGNIZED THAT THESE TWO REGIONS WERE DIFFERENT WHEN IT PUT THE TWO TOGETHER IN ONE SEAT.

 

ENABLING LEGISLATION ALSO FORESAW THE NEED TO ADJUST THE BOARD MEMBERSHIP SHOULD A DRASTIC CHANGE OCCUR IN THE COUNTY. 

 

 

·        LEGISLATION’S ADJUSTMENT WAS BASED ON LOS ANGELES CITY’S SHARE OF INCORPORATED POPULATION ONLY

·        NORTH COUNTY’S MAJOR POPULATION EXPLOSION AND INCREASED ROLE IN TRUCK FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT IS AN EQUALLY DRASTIC CHANGE UNFORESEEN 16 YEARS AGO

 

SPIRIT OF ENABLING LEGISLATION SHOULD SUPPORT THE ALTERATION OF THE MTA BOARD TO ACCOMMODATE NEW CHALLENGES FACED BY LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

 INTENT OF LEGISLATION (AB 251)

 

CIRCUMSTANCES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAVE CHANGED TO THE POINT WHERE AN UPDATE TO THE 1993 LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE MTA BOARD IS IN ORDER.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 251 SEEKS TO ADDRESS THE REAL NEED FOR THE NORTH COUNTY CITIES TO HAVE ITS OWN SEPARATE SEAT ON THE MTA BOARD WHILE PRESERVING A PROMINENT ROLE FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN DETERMINING COUNTYWIDE POLICY.

 

SPLITTING THE CURRENT SEAT ALLOTTED TO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITIES AND THE NORTH COUNTY CITIES WILL CREATE A MORE BALANCED MTA BOARD THAT PROMOTES:

·        FAIRNESS

·        COLLABORATION

·        CONSENSUS-BUILDING, AND

·        BETTER PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP OF OUR COUNTY’S PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS AND TRANSPORTATION FUTURE

 

TAKING SEAT FROM LOS ANGELES CITY WILL ENHANCE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DECISION MAKING AND IMPROVE PUBLIC POLICY MAKING IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

 

 

A LOS ANGELES CITY-CONTROLLED MTA BOARD HAS BEEN DISASTROUS TO THE ENTIRE COUNTY

 

THE ENTIRE COUNTY HAS NOT BEEN SERVED WELL BY THE MTA DURING ITS 16  YEARS OF EXISTENCE UNDER LOS ANGELES CITY CONTROL.

 

MISMANAGEMENT OF SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION

·        $6 billion, 17-mile subway constructed entirely within Los Angeles City limits

·        Project went over budget by tens of millions of dollars

·        caused massive damage and disruption to our communities

·        endanger the funding for projects in other parts of the County

·        threatened bankruptcy of the entire agency

·        led to ban on subway construction using county sales taxes

·        led to removal of gold line construction from mta to separate construction authority

 

ConSENT DECREE

·        MTA NEGLIGENCE OF BUS SYSTEM LED TO LAWSUIT AND FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE

·        10 year CONSENT DECREE FROM 1996 TO 2006

·        FEDERAL COURT OVERSIGHT OF MTA OPERATIONS AND MTA POLICY SETTING LED TO MASSIVE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT

·        RESULT:  RECENT FARE INCREASES AND SERVICE CUTS ACROSS SYSTEM

 

PROPOSITION 1B

·        LOS ANGELES CITY PROMISED REST OF COUNTY THAT IF WE UNITED IN SUPPORT OF STATE BOND PROPOSITION FOR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, WE WOULD BE PARTNERS IN SHARING FUNDS

·        END RESULT:  LOS ANGELES CITY BROKE ITS PROMISE. 

·        L.A. CITY CUT BACKROOM DEALS IN STATE LEGISLATION AND ENDED UP WITH 50% OF ALL COUNTY FUNDS FOR MOBILITY AND HIGHWAY PROJECTS WHILE ALL OTHER PARTS OF the COUNTY WERE SHORTCHANGED. 

 

MEASURE R

·        30-YEAR, HALF-PERCENT SALES TAX PUT ON BALLOT NOVEMBER 2008 BY MTA BOARD

·        INSTEAD OF A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CREATING A CONSENSUS PLAN, L.A. CITY USED ITS WORKING MAJORITY TO CREATE A PROPOSAL THAT DISENFRANCHISED MUCH OF the COUNTY, PARTICULARLY NORTH COUNTY

·        PLAN TO IMPLEMENT TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS OF THE FUTURE ONLY PUTS 5% OF PROJECT FUNDS INTO NORTH COUNTY WHICH WILL GROW TO BECOME OVER 11% OF COUNTY POPULATION

·        ONLY A BOARD WITHOUT A CLEAR VOICE FOR THE NORTH COUNTY AND A MAJORITY FOR ONE CITY WOULD CREATE A PLAN THAT SHORTCHANGES THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE COUNTY