The Measure A hearing date before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is March 5, when supervisors will hear the implementation plan for the Measure.
Measure A is an annual parcel tax paid for by homeowners and business owners that was approved by the voters in 2016. It continues in perpetuity and can be raised annually by the Board without voter approval.
The Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation (LVHF) has long advocated for open space and parks and ardently supports the allocation of direct funding in Measure A for high-need urban parks as stipulated.
“Measure A has gone astray. This is a must-attend hearing to ensure the Santa Monica Mountains and COG [Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments] cities get a fair share of funding,” said LVHF president Kim Lamorie, who says there is an “extremely well-organized group of opponents” trying to manipulate and change the intent and language of the measure by carving out an additional 30 percent off the top in the competitive grant category.
“Now, more than ever, with almost 100,000 acres burned by the Woolsey fire, the Santa Monica Mountains and environs are in dire need of restoration funding. We’ve lost more than 23,000 trees, trails are destroyed, and public facilities damaged,” Lamorie said.
The Santa Monica Mountains serve high-need urban communities and provide recreational opportunities and open spaces to be enjoyed by all, including millions of county visitors and tourists annually, not just residents.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities.