LOS ANGELES, May 22 (UPI) -- A proposal to split the San Fernando Valley away from Los Angeles and form the nation's sixth-largest city appeared headed for the November ballot late Wednesday as a public debate over the issue continued into the evening.
The Local Agency Formation Commission was expected to approve a proposal that would have voters in the valley and in the rest of Los Angeles decide whether the sprawling suburban region should become an independent municipality.
"Today, what you are doing is making history," said Paula Bowland, a proponent of secession. "You are telling almost 1.5 million people that democracy is alive and well in this country."
LAFCO, a state-empowered panel that governs the formation of various jurisdictions, was expected to vote on the matter sometime Wednesday night, and news reports indicated the proposal to place secession on the ballot would pass.
If secession were eventually approved, the new city of San Fernando would debut as the sixth-largest city in the United States, wedged between No. 5 Philadelphia and Phoenix, the current No. 6.
In losing some 1.3 million residents, Los Angeles would lose its standing as the second-largest city in the nation to Chicago, according to census figures from 2000; New York City is the largest.
In the future, Los Angeles would also likely have to deal with similar secession drives already being launched in Hollywood as well as the area around San Pedro, home of the city's bustling and lucrative seaport.
The loss of population and tax revenue is a major concern to city hall, and Mayor James Hahn urged LAFCO to delay its decision so that more work can be done on the financial impact of secession on both Los Angeles and the Valley.
"Show us how you got to this number and how this number can change so dramatically in one week," Hahn urged the board. "If you don't vote today, it will still get on the ballot."
LAFCO board members, however, said the issue could not be delayed and had been studied enough.
"Every week there is another issue," board member Zev Yaroslavsky said, referring to concerns that the valley would not be able to adequately respond to emergencies such as earthquakes. "Last week, it was disasters of biblical proportion."
A LAFCO report released Tuesday revised the amount of money that a valley city would be required by law to pay Los Angeles as reimbursement for city services to $128 million, up from earlier projections of $55 million, but still below the $153 million the mayor's office had originally projected.
The report also said the valley's financial reserves would need to be increased to $1.14 billion.
City services and taxes have been a driving force in the secession movement. Many residents of the valley believe they do not get an appropriate return on their tax dollars from city hall. One speaker contended that the current manpower shortage on the Los Angeles Police Department had hit the valley particularly hard.
But Hahn warned Tuesday that taxes for both cities would likely go up and public safety could suffer due to the loss of Los Angeles' current financial clout in the bond markets that are vital to upgrading police and fire stations.
