SEIU 721, AFSCME 36 International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501; Laborers Local 777; Los Angeles/Orange County Building & Construction Trades Council; and Teamsters Local 911 reached tentative deal with City. They were trying to get a salary hike to reach DWP pay levels, but fell short, garnering a 13% pay hike instead of 20%. There will be a 28% raise over 5 years. The contract will be radified this month (October)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-unions2oct02,1,533521.story?coll=la-headlines-california
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7057135
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Extending Phone Tax on Feb 5th Ballot
City Council, 11-2, authorized ballot language to be drawn up for a measure that would be placed before voters Feb. 5, the same day as the California presidential primary. San Fernando Valley Councilmen Zine & Smith were the only ones to vote no on the tax.
The city currently gets $270M from the 10% phone tax on cell and land lines and wants residents to continue paying the tax.
The council will declare an "emergency" on Oct 17th, which would put the tax on the ballot while complying with Proposition 218, a 1996 state initiative that governs municipal tax increases. That measure prohibits the city from taking a tax to voters before a regularly scheduled municipal election unless it declares an emergency. For Los Angeles, the next regular election will not come until 2009. Anti-Tax organizations disagree with the "emergency"designation saying that it applies to earthquakes, etc.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tax4oct04,1,5956849.story
The city currently gets $270M from the 10% phone tax on cell and land lines and wants residents to continue paying the tax.
The council will declare an "emergency" on Oct 17th, which would put the tax on the ballot while complying with Proposition 218, a 1996 state initiative that governs municipal tax increases. That measure prohibits the city from taking a tax to voters before a regularly scheduled municipal election unless it declares an emergency. For Los Angeles, the next regular election will not come until 2009. Anti-Tax organizations disagree with the "emergency"designation saying that it applies to earthquakes, etc.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tax4oct04,1,5956849.story
More DWP news (rates increase, trouble from anti-tax groups)
Water Rate increase pending
This week (Oct 2), DWP approved another round of water-rate increases: 3.1 percent next July to raise about $23 million and another 3.1 percent hike in July 2009 to add $24.6 million to utility coffers. Power-rate increases also were approved and await action by the City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Money from the water hikes is expected to generate about $100 million to cover the cost of replacing aging pipelines, repairing environmental damage in the Owens Valley - the source of most of the city's water - and covering open reservoirs to meet water-quality requirements.
LA City wants $$ from DWP to fund a broader range of city services, but anti-tax groups disagree
On the heels of this news, the Daily News reported that back in April, the city wants to transfer funds from the water revenue fund to the city's reserve fund -- where it can be used for a broader range of services.
The City Council adopted an ordinance to move the $29.9 million from the water-revenue fund to the city's reserve fund Feb. 21. It was approved by Villaraigosa on March 5. On April 9, the city filed a "complaint for validation", which was intended to be a "pre-emptive strike" in case someone challenges the city's attempt to transfer the funds. If the court rules in the city's favor, DWP will proceed with the revenue transfers
However, conservative anti-tax groups (Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn) want to challenge the city and filed a response to the city's complaint. They say that the transfer of excess funds mean that the DWP is over charging people to put money into the city's coffers -- and this means that this is a tax.
DWP commissioner David Nahai supports the transfer. He says that the water fund is the equivalent of a franchise fee that other cities commonly charge utilities. "The transfer has historically been made from the DWP to the city. It's a decades-old practice. Others pay a franchise fee to the city. ... It's a very common practice," he said. He also says that if the fund transfer is denied, there won't be a rate decrease.
In June, the DWP board adopted a $4 billion budget that includes a five-year, $1 billion upgrade program for the utility, along with the rate increases.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_7077222?source=email
This week (Oct 2), DWP approved another round of water-rate increases: 3.1 percent next July to raise about $23 million and another 3.1 percent hike in July 2009 to add $24.6 million to utility coffers. Power-rate increases also were approved and await action by the City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Money from the water hikes is expected to generate about $100 million to cover the cost of replacing aging pipelines, repairing environmental damage in the Owens Valley - the source of most of the city's water - and covering open reservoirs to meet water-quality requirements.
LA City wants $$ from DWP to fund a broader range of city services, but anti-tax groups disagree
On the heels of this news, the Daily News reported that back in April, the city wants to transfer funds from the water revenue fund to the city's reserve fund -- where it can be used for a broader range of services.
The City Council adopted an ordinance to move the $29.9 million from the water-revenue fund to the city's reserve fund Feb. 21. It was approved by Villaraigosa on March 5. On April 9, the city filed a "complaint for validation", which was intended to be a "pre-emptive strike" in case someone challenges the city's attempt to transfer the funds. If the court rules in the city's favor, DWP will proceed with the revenue transfers
However, conservative anti-tax groups (Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn) want to challenge the city and filed a response to the city's complaint. They say that the transfer of excess funds mean that the DWP is over charging people to put money into the city's coffers -- and this means that this is a tax.
DWP commissioner David Nahai supports the transfer. He says that the water fund is the equivalent of a franchise fee that other cities commonly charge utilities. "The transfer has historically been made from the DWP to the city. It's a decades-old practice. Others pay a franchise fee to the city. ... It's a very common practice," he said. He also says that if the fund transfer is denied, there won't be a rate decrease.
In June, the DWP board adopted a $4 billion budget that includes a five-year, $1 billion upgrade program for the utility, along with the rate increases.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_7077222?source=email
DWP salaries online!
The Daily news is going after DWP by creating a public database that shows the salaries of all DWP employees..
General Manager, Ron Deaton: $344K/yr
"Editor's Note: If you read only one story today, I hope it will be this one. The DWP's bloated salaries, poor management and soaring rates are the most glaring example of what's wrong with Los Angeles city government. We think this is so important we've put up the salaries of all 8,500 employees at dailynews.com. See how your pay compares with theirs. --Ron Kaye, editor"
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/ladwpsalaries/
General Manager, Ron Deaton: $344K/yr
"Editor's Note: If you read only one story today, I hope it will be this one. The DWP's bloated salaries, poor management and soaring rates are the most glaring example of what's wrong with Los Angeles city government. We think this is so important we've put up the salaries of all 8,500 employees at dailynews.com. See how your pay compares with theirs. --Ron Kaye, editor"
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/ladwpsalaries/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)