does la county measure h force all cities to raise taxes

DOES LA COUNTY MEASURE H FORCE ALL CITIES TO RAISE TAXES HOW TO

Meanwhile, Cleary urged synchronizing the traffic lights so traffic will move better. Shyne said if the city were to ever reduce traffic lanes, that should be done when the Metro subway line is opened in West Hollywood, not before.Ĭhallenger Noemi Torres said that expanding the bike lanes in the city is needed, noting that bicycle riding isn’t safe in places where there are no bike lanes.īlock added that any new bike lanes the city creates should be protected bike lanes (separate from automobile traffic lanes). Several want to see the program expanded.Īs for transportation, none favored reducing the number of lanes of traffic on the major arteries at rush hour. Incumbents and challengers alike favored continuing the OUTzone program where the city installed K-rails in parking spaces to create more space for restaurants to serve diners outside. Outdoor dining zone created in front of Fiesta Cantina on Santa Monica Boulevard. Meanwhile Erickson said the city needed to do more to address food insecurity among residents who don’t have the money to buy food.

DOES LA COUNTY MEASURE H FORCE ALL CITIES TO RAISE TAXES HOW TO

Both also noted they supported the city’s rental assistance program, which provides funds to residential tenants unable to pay their rent.Ĭleary said the paperwork involved in applying for those rental assistance funds can be intimidating and suggested the city should do more to help residents know about the program and how to fill out the forms.Ĭhallenger Sepi Shyne urged the city increase the amount offered in that rental assistance program beyond the $1,000 a month currently offered (with a three-month linit), while also doing more to protect residents from landlord harassment.Ĭolantonio said the city should look to what other cities are doing for creative ideas to bring people to West Hollywood to spend money at local businesses, suggesting that establishing a business task force to develop inventive ways to promote the city. On the matter of helping renters and businesses get through the pandemic, Duran pointed out that he authored the eviction moratorium for both residents and commercial tenants, something incumbent Councilmember John Heilman also supported. Meanwhile, John Erickson named climate change as the most urgent issue, stating the wildfires ravaging the Western United States and the smoke currently covering the Los Angeles basin are due to climate change. Block also suggested stopping gentrification by creating affordable housing co-ops for tenants to become owners of their units was vital. Cleary added that addressing homelessness was tied to public safety.Ĭandidate Larry Block also said housing issues were important, specifically saying allowing senior residents to age in place was essential. However, challengers Jerome Cleary and Mark Yusupov both said public safety, along with housing issues, were of utmost importance. While there was general agreement about protecting renters and the businesses, incumbent Councilmember John Duran phrased it as “we’re in triage and salvage, trying to keep as many people afloat as possible.” He added that it is important the city maintain the “brands” West Hollywood is known for – the Sunset Strip and the Boystown district – so tourists will have a place they want to come to once the pandemic is over to pump money into the local economy.Īlong those same lines, challenger Marco Colantonio said it is also of utmost importance to maintain the city’s operating budget, one heavily dependent on tourist dollars from hotel taxes, so the city can continue to offer rental assistance funds to renters in need. Readers wanting to watch the video of the debate can access it on Youtube by clicking here.

Activist and public policy analyst Chris Bowen moderated the debate, reading 11 questions which he and WEHOville publisher/editor Henry Scott wrote. WEHOville sponsored the two-and-a-half-hour debate held virtually on Zoom and broadcast live on YouTube. That was the general consensus among the nine candidates vying for the two open seats on the West Hollywood City Council in the November 3 election during a candidate’s forum held Wednesday night. Keeping renters in their homes and getting the local economy going again amid the COVID-19 pandemic are the two most urgent issues facing West Hollywood right now. The candidates, listed in alphabetical order from top down, left to right, are Larry Block, Jerome Cleary, Marco Colantonio, John Duran, John Erickson, John Heilman, Sepi Shyne, Noemi Torres, and Mark Farhad Yusupov

Does la county measure h force all cities to raise taxes