California lawmakers advance bill that explores East LA cityhood

A California Senate committee has voted to advance a bill that explores the feasibility of East Los Angeles becoming a city or special district.

In a 4-1 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted in favor of Assembly Bill 2986, authored by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, who represents East L.A. The bill affirms two L.A. County motions that commit to conducting a feasibility study and providing East L.A. a thorough report of its tax base and county services that return to the region.

The full Legislature will still need to vote on the bill before it can head to the governor’s desk for a signature or veto.

Carrillo released the following statement in response to Thursday’s action:

“After working with Senate Appropriations, I’m grateful the legislature recognizes the importance of extending the discussion about East Los Angeles’ future,” Carrillo said.

The bill initially called on the Local Agency Formation Committee for the County of Los Angeles, or LAFCO, to conduct a cityhood feasibility study for East L.A., a region of 120,000 residents where there is no mayor or city council.

Hilda Solis, who represents East L.A. on the county Board of Supervisors, has opposed the bill from the beginning, saying she largely sees it as a form of state overreach. Solis argues that a push for East L.A. cityhood would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and claims that the unincorporated community receives satisfactory services from the county.

In July, the bill was amended to almost mirror two L.A. County motions, affirming the county’s commitment to conduct and pay for the study, and publish reports about East L.A.’s tax base and how many county services come back to the region. If passed, L.A. County would have to report the findings of its own feasibility study and analyses to the state.

“I amended the bill to ensure the conversation could move forward and that the County of Los Angeles understood the urgency of being transparent to the unincorporated community of East Los Angeles, which lacks a local governing body,” Carrillo’s statement read.

Efforts to incorporate East L.A. into a city have failed in the past, with one of the latest attempts failing in 2012 when LAFCO found that the unincorporated area would not be able to financially sustain cityhood.