Council advances $600 million police-and-fire bond to ballot after debt-impact review

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved a debt impact statement and set a ballot resolution to place a $600 million police-and-fire facilities bond measure on the March 2002 ballot, after staff told the council the city has the capacity within its self-imposed debt ceiling to issue the proposed general obligation bonds.

City administrative staff and the chief legislative analyst—s office briefed the council on a debt chart and an accompanying debt impact statement showing current and projected debt-service levels. City staff said the city—s nonvoter and voter-approved debt remains below the charter limit (15% of general fund revenues) and that the issuance would not push debt service above the limit.

"According to our current policy ... we have more than sufficient capacity in our debt to handle this bond measure," CLA staff said, presenting calculations that showed average homeowner tax impacts and estimated debt-service rates. The CLA outlined that a single-family home assessed at $185,000 would face an average tax of $34.49 over the life of the bonds, and that the first-year average following issuance would be about $11.10.

Council discussion focused on priorities and project management. City staff and council members pointed to new oversight and project-management systems implemented since earlier bond issues, including monthly project reports, designated city project managers and a technical steering committee to monitor scopes, budgets and timelines. The Bureau of Engineering was identified as the recommended project manager for construction, with technical oversight from a committee including the CAO, CLA, mayor—s office and the beneficiary department.

Council members repeatedly cited aging and inadequate police and fire facilities across multiple stations as justification for the measure. Councilmember Ron (CLA remarks) and others described dilapidated conditions at stations including Hollenbeck, Rampart and West Valley and urged the council to proceed.

The council approved both the debt impact statement (note and file) and the ballot resolution of necessity during a special meeting called to consider the measure. A roll-call vote for the special meeting items recorded 11 ayes on the motion to advance the measures at the special meeting; subsequent votes on related actions were recorded as approved in later roll calls (final tally recorded on the regular meeting roll as approved).

Councilmembers stressed improved transparency and oversight as key differences from earlier bond measures and said the City will track project progress monthly and report on spending. The council directed staff to continue refining project lists and to fold any existing appropriations for related police and fire facilities into the overall plan to avoid duplication.

The measure now moves to the March 2002 ballot subject to the city—s standard ballot-adoption timeline and any further regulatory steps. The council—s approval does not itself issue bonds; it advances the authorization step needed to place a general-obligation proposition before voters.