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Proposal Would Allow L.A. Residents To Pay For Faster Street Repairs Themselves
Pothole on a Los Angeles street (Photo by Al Pavangkanan via the Creative Commons on Flickr)
It's not a surprise that we have a pothole problem in Los Angeles or that we can't help but trip over uprooted sidewalks. However, for the folks who are tired of crappy roads in their neighborhoods, there's a new proposal that aims to let residents tax themselves so they can get the streets around them repaired faster.
Councilman Joe Buscaino proposed this plan at a City Council meeting on Wednesday, according KPCC. "Beautification assessment districts" would be areas that could be the size of a city block or larger, and residents could self-impose taxes—i.e. tacking them onto their property taxes—so the city could hire contractors to fix the roads faster. Residents would have to vote on creating the districts. Tree-trimming would also be included in this beautification process.
During the meeting, Buscaino requested that city budget officials study how this would be feasible, reported the L.A. Times. If the City Council approves their report, then the budget officials would look further into the nitty gritty of how they'd plan out the districts and taxes.
The city is riddled with problems when it comes to repairing its streets. Los Angeles' D- and F-grade streets already make up 40 percent of the city's roadways, according to the Times. The Bureau of Street Services is backlogged on fixing the roads, money hasn't been spent as well as it could, and some money that could be used hasn't been collected, among other problems.
"Residents want the opportunity to be part of the solution," Buscaino said.
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