LABJ Forum: Secession Goes to Voters
It’s official: San Fernando Valley secession will be on the November ballot. As proponents on both sides gird for war, voters throughout the city are bracing for an onslaught of lobbying. So the Business Journal asks: Will you vote for Valley secession?
Gary Bergevin
Real Estate Agent
Prudential California
Realty
I will. I think it will help Hollywood secede. My opinion is city services can’t get any worse. I’m thinking a Valley city will be much more manageable. The way the city is now it’s just too large and bureaucratic to get anything done.
Marc Weinberg
Owner
Chum Toy Co.
I haven’t given it too much thought, but probably not. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Mike Caponetto
Managing Director
CBIZ Century Capital Group
I’m not sure, I’m not that well-versed in the subject. My initial reaction is that it’s too soon to have a vote. Voters shouldn’t decide the issue until the economic impact has been more fully studied.
Carol Rowen
Founder and Executive Director
International Trade Education Programs
Yes I will vote for it. For 40 years the Valley has been thinking about secession and pulling back on pleas from the city. I don’t know why it is so important to brag about being the second largest city in the country. If you can’t provide finances or adequate services to your constituents, it would seem to me bragging rights are only about size and not the quality of life. It is simply about asset allocation and the Valley is not getting its share of adequate services.
Dimitri Diatchenko
Professional Guitarist/Actor
Yes. I think the separation will allow the Valley to develop more as a complete city with less dependence on what happens on the other side of the hill. Our tax money will go towards things that are more pertinent to our side of the hill. My main reason is it would allow us to make our own decisions locally.
Nina Kaczorowski
Actress
Yes. The main benefit that I could see for the Valley becoming their own independent city is that their tax money would be used for their own schools and utilities.
Peter Carr
Vice President
Corporate Realty Associates
No I won’t. From what little I know I don’t think it makes sense. I don’t know what the advantages are. It would be my guess that they have the tax base and retail dollars to stand alone in the long run, but in the short run my guess is they would have to purchase services from the City of L.A. That would divert time, effort and resources away from the City of Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley, I don’t know if there’s an advantage to that.
