Plug Pulled on ‘Save Our Streets’ Ballot Initiative

(Image: EmpowerLA)

Angelenos will not be asked this November to vote on a half-cent sales tax increase to fix broken streets and sidewalks throughout the city, Councilman Joe Buscaino announced today.

In March, top city analysts recommended a tax hike to generate $4.5 billion over 15 years to repair 8,700 lane miles of streets in D or F condition and 4,600 miles of broken sidewalks. Buscaino and Councilman Mitch Englander’s “Save our Streets” initiative was originally slated for the May 2013 ballot.

“After thoughtful and careful consideration, we have decided this November is not the best time to place the Save our Streets LA (SOSLA) measure on the ballot,” Buscaino said in a statement, adding that a future ballot initiative is not out of the question.

“The City of Los Angeles is facing an infrastructure crisis, which will require an investment in the billions of dollars — not only in our streets, but in our sidewalks and stormwater system as well,” he said. “Before asking voters to open their wallets, we owe it to them to thoroughly and exhaustively explore all options, and to ensure that we are maximizing the use of every tax dollar we receive by operating as efficiently as possible.”