General
Questions
QUESTION:
What are we being asked to do?
The issue is: shall our local government continue to be provided
by the County of Los Angeles and its five Supervisors, or should
we be governed by the local City of Santa Clarita and its five City
Councilmembers.
QUESTION:
What is the history of county versus city government in the Santa
Clarita Valley?
The Santa Clarita Valley has been trying to break away from the
Los Angeles County government for decades. In the 1970’s,
two attempts to form a completely new county were put on the ballot
countywide. Comfortable majorities within the Santa Clarita Valley
approved both county formation attempts. The rest of Los Angeles
County refused to let Santa Clarita Valley become independent.
Several attempts
to form cities occurred as early as the 1940’s.
Finally, after
a titanic three-year battle, the City of Santa Clarita was created
in 1987. In spite of a nearly $600,000 anti-incorporation campaign
(in 1987 dollars), the voters approved the creation of the City
of Santa Clarita by a nearly 70% majority.
QUESTION:
Have any other communities tried to annex themselves into the City
of Santa Clarita?
Yes. To-date, 28 other annexations have been proposed and ratified
into the City of Santa Clarita.
QUESTION: Has the City of Santa Clarita actively promoted these
other 28 annexations?
No. The city policy makes annexation somewhat challenging.
QUESTION:
What is the process for getting any area, such as Stonecrest, annexed
into the City? (Also
See Map of Proposed Areas)
Before an actual annexation application is filed, the City asks
that a minimum of 60% of the residents of a proposed annexation
submit petition signatures supporting annexation to the City itself.
Once it has
received this indication of 60% support, the City then submits a
city annexation application to the government agency that regulates
annexation. This state-charted agency is run by the County of Los
Angeles, and is called the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).
LAFCO does technical
analysis about the accuracy of the annexation map, and verifies
if the proposed annexation meets all the technical code requirements,
which are very numerous.
LAFCO then issues a report about whether the proposed annexation
has met all of the necessary technical requirements. If the technical
requirements are met, LAFCO then establishes what is called a “protest
hearing”.
At this protest
hearing, residents of the proposed annexation have the opportunity
to vote in favor or in opposition to the annexation. Being in favor
of the annexation at this stage is very simple. If you would like
the annexation to successfully conclude, you do noting. You don’t
protest.
If you are still
opposed to the annexation, however, you have the right to send a
letter, or sign a petition of opposition to the annexation to LAFCO.
If 15% but less than 50% of the residents of the proposed annexation
sign protest petitions, then the annexation is stalled.
Under this circumstance,
a special election is called, paid for by the taxpayers to ask yet
again whether all the people effected by annexation will approve
or oppose.
If more than 50% of the registered voters turn in these “protest”
letters or petitions, then the annexation is killed outright and
proceeds no further.
In addition,
no new annexation is allowed to be filed for a minimum of one year.
Over 85% of the residents of the older, first phase of Stonecrest
(sometimes called “lower Stonecrest”) signed petitions
in favor of annexation going back to the year 2002.
QUESTION:
28 annexations into the City of Santa Clarita have been ratified
in the last 18 years. How many of those had protest petitions signed
that killed the annexation outright?
Zero (none). The city policy makes annexation somewhat challenging.
QUESTION:
How many of the 28 annexations ratified were forced to hold a special,
taxpayer-funded election?
One.
QUESTION:
What was the result of this one election?
The voters approved allowing the annexation to the City.
QUESTION: Which one of the 28 annexations had this election?
It was the area directly bordering Stonecrest commonly referred
to as the “Pine Tree – Timberlane – Le House”
neighborhood. This annexation stretched from just passed Sand Canyon
Road northeast to the present boundary just northeast of Shadow
Pines Boulevard. It brought nearly 6,000 residents into the City.
<
Back to Community Concerns & FAQs |
