EMPOWERING EAST LA RESIDENTS WITH DATA & KNOWLEDGE
INSTEAD OF INSTILLING FEAR THROUGH LIES & MISINFORMATION
ABOUT AB2986
Support AB2968 To Empower East Los Angeles is here to help those who call this community home. They deserve to know if their community has the resources to be its own voice within local government. AB2986 aims to give those stakeholders exactly that.
CALLS FOR A
FEASIBILITY STUDY
AB 2986 is a feasibility study that would explore the possibility of East Los Angeles becoming a “special district” with local elected leaders who would work with the county to better serve residents or become a small municipality.
MAKES NO CHANGES
TO CURRENT
STRUCTURE
AB 2986 does not make East Los Angeles into a city. THIS IS ONLY A STUDY. This is about getting the information and data that we have been asking for from the County of Los Angeles for far too many years and they have FAILED to provide to us.
DOES NOT CREATE
OR RAISE ANY TAXES
AB 2986 DOES NOT CREATE OR RAISE ANY TAXES. It simply calls for a feasibility study. That's it. The language in the actual legislation clearly outlines that fact, and any effort to lie to you about this is a show of disrespect to the families and businesses of East Los Angeles.
EAST LA: HISTORY OF PRIDE & CULTURE
East Los Angeles is a proud community, rich in history and driven by a culture of self determination through hard work and believing in the principle that we all deserve better and it is on his to achieve it. From its homeowners to business owners, its seniors and veterans, to its students and immigrants, we are all an integral part of the community.
As it stands, East Los Angeles is an island unto itself without a city council or mayor, surrounded by cities that have local elected leaders who work to improve their residents’ daily quality of life: the City of Los Angeles, Monterey Park, City of Commerce, Montebello, Vernon, and Southeast Cities, like Maywood.
Previous attempts to incorporate occurred in 1931, 1933, 1961, 1963, 1975 and 2012. Voters in East Los Angeles voted on incorporation in 1933, 1961, and 1975, and the measure did not move forward. In 2012, after 4 years of dedicated hard work by community members, the cityhood effort was blocked, taking away the voices of the residents who deserved to have their voices heard.
East Los Angeles deserves to be heard. East Los Angeles deserves answers.
AB 2986 is a feasibility study that would establish a community-led task-force under the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles (LALAFCO) to explore the possibility of East Los Angeles becoming a “special district” or city with local elected leaders who would work with the county to better serve residents or possibly become a municipality. It does not mandate cityhood nor change any of the current structure. It is simply a study.
AB 2986 does not impact the county budget, it would be paid for by the State of California, “upon appropriationof the legislature.” The state would have to approve the funding.
No, the bill aims to study East Los Angeles’ tax base, economic viability, investments made, and potential future improvements.
Special Districts play an important role in providing essential services that uniquely serve the needs of their communities, ensuring efficient governance and local control. Community Service Districts are one form of special district that can serve as an alternative to incorporating a new city and provide several services.
● For instance, the Rossmoor Community Services District in Orange County offers public recreation facilities, street lighting, median landscaping, tree maintenance, and street sweeping.
The process for incorporation involves gathering signatures, analyzing financial aspects, and seeking public approval. In meeting these conditions, a new city can officially be incorporated.
There have been six efforts over the years to incorporate East Los Angeles, as follows:
● 1931 – Rejected by Los Angeles County.
● 1933 – Rejected by the voters.
● 1961 – Rejected by voters.
● 1963 – Did not garner the required number of petition signatures.
● 1975 – Rejected by voters.
● 2012 – Denied by LALAFCO.
● 2024 - LALAFCO and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors currently oppose AB 2986. The bill received bi-partisan support from the Assembly Local Governments Committee with an 8-0 vote.
It’s now close to 50 years since East Los Angeles residents had the ability to vote for local representation.
East Los Angeles lacks a City Council or governing board responsive to the community's needs. As such, it lacks a tool and productive avenue to advocate and govern itself, to develop homegrown policies and programs that would increase economic productivity and make the community financially feasible as a city in the future.
Throughout the decades, several of East Los Angeles’ intuitions were given to neighboring cities like Monterey Park and the City of Commerce, thereby reducing East Los Angeles’ tax base. Other challenges include the prevalence of nontaxable assets such as county buildings, cemeteries and freeways, which constrain revenue generating capabilities for East Los Angeles.
No, AB 2986 empowers the residents of East Los Angeles by requiring Los Angeles County and LALAFCO to create a task force that is representative of the community.
No, AB 2986 does not increase taxes or reduce service levels. The bill provides residents of East Los Angeles with information on the revenue they generate, the services they receive, and how incorporation either as a special district or city would impact them.
AB 2986 provides East Los Angeles with transparency and accountability as to how their tax dollars are being spent and how they can be more involved and engaged in infrastructure projects, economic development, small businesses improvement, workforce development and overall county services.
No, AB 2986 would allow residents of East Los Angeles to have more significant influence over planning and development in the community. Residents of East Los Angeles could use this influence to promote the development of affordable housing that include parking and other projects.
No, AB 2986 is a study bill and does not change the services currently provided to residents of East Los Angeles.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
