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City council keeps proceeds from police property sales in general fund, rejects dedicated police capital trust
Summary
After extended debate, the council voted to place proceeds from sales of vacated police facilities into the general fund and the respective council district trust funds rather than a citywide dedicated police capital fund.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to direct proceeds from sales of vacated police department properties into the city's general fund and the respective council district real estate trust funds, rejecting a proposal to place all proceeds into a dedicated police capital facilities trust.
Council Member Misakowski had introduced a minority recommendation to use sale proceeds to build a small, guaranteed capital fund dedicated to police facilities. She argued such a fund would create a reliable stream to pay for renovations and repairs after recent bond measures failed. "We know that we've had difficulty in looking for funds to help build or remodel or do anything," Misakowski said during her remarks.
Council Member Feuer, speaking for the majority recommendation, urged flexibility. "All I'm asking for is that we have the opportunity to retain the flexibility to devote those funds to whatever the council deems in its discretion to be the highest and best use of those scarce dollars," he said. Several members, including Council Members Walters and Goldberg, said facilities were built with citywide resources and that proceeds should remain available for citywide priorities.
The council first voted on a substitute motion (the minority's approach to create a dedicated police capital fund). That substitute was defeated on the roll call, 4 ayes and 10 noes. The original/majority recommendation (item A) was then approved by the council, recorded as 14 ayes.
The Office of Administrative and Research Services (ORS) had noted in the fiscal impact statement that the effect on the general fund would "depend on the number of sales and the sale price of the vacated police department facilities." Council members cited local examples (including facilities that have served community programs) to illustrate trade-offs when properties are sold.
What the council approved is administrative direction about where sale proceeds will be deposited; it does not itself appropriate funds to specific capital projects. Council members said individual uses would still come to the council for approval, and several urged that future allocations be paired with clear enforcement or project plans for needed stations.
Votes and formal actions from the meeting are recorded below.
