Los Angeles County officials Wednesday morning hailed the likely passage of Measure W, the Safe Clean Water parcel tax, on the Nov. 6 ballot.
According to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder’s office, the measure has 67.4 percent of the vote with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Two-thirds of the total vote was needed for passage.
Final election results will be certified at the end of the month.
Known as the Safe Clean Water Program, Measure W will fund projects and programs that capture, clean and conserve stormwater, increasing local water supplies, improving water quality, and creating opportunities for new recreational green space and habitat to make communities safer, greener, healthier, and more livable.
An estimated $300 million will be raised annually.
“Measure W will help us manage scarce water resources more effectively for our children and our children’s children,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, chair of the Board of Supervisors.
“Without Measure W, we faced an ever more urgent challenge to meet our water needs,” she said. “L.A. County currently loses an estimated 100 billion gallons or more of water during annual rainstorms, enough to meet the needs of more than 2.6 million people for an entire year. We simply can’t afford to let that water run down the drain. I’m gratified that L.A. County voters recognized the need and were ready to take up the task.”
County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, co-author of the motion that brought Measure W before voters, said: I am thrilled that L.A. County voted to support Measure W, the Safe Clean Water initiative. Stormwater capture improves our water supply, protects our beaches and oceans from contamination, keeps our neighborhoods and local parks green, and promotes public health and quality of life in all of our diverse communities.
“It also means good-paying local jobs. Today, over two-thirds of county voters stated in one, clear voice that our increased water needs and changing climate mean that every drop of water is precious,” Solis said. “L.A. County looks forward to getting started on these infrastructure projects.”
![water sprinkler runoff](https://i0.wp.com/scvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/water-runoff.jpg?resize=370%2C174&ssl=1)
Through the implementation of Measure W local and regional stormwater capture projects, estimates indicate that L.A. County could triple the amount of water it captures annually.
“Voters have embraced an historic opportunity to modernize L.A. County’s water infrastructure to meet the needs of the 21st century,” said Mark Pestrella, director of the Department of Public Works and chief engineer for the L.A. County Flood Control District.
“We look forward to the critically important work of modernizing our 100-year old stormwater infrastructure to improve water resiliency and reduce stormwater pollution in the region,” he said.
“Cities in Los Angeles County just let out a huge sigh of relief,” said Kristine Guerrero of the Los Angeles County Division of the League of California Cities. “County cities were on the hook to improve water quality but didn’t have the resources or a regional plan to do it. Measure W makes it possible for L.A. County and its cities to move forward together with a smart plan to capture, clean and store more local water.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
3 Comments
Not a dime will go where they say it will.
Every square foot of impermeable surface on your property is now taxed.
Roof surface, driveway, patio, block walls, etc. This is a new property tax…make no doubt about it. On my property, it will result in $500 additional per year…in perpetuity. That’s a signficant annual increase I was just handed. So much for Prop 13 guaranteeing minimal annual property tax increases as long as you own your property. This measure only took 4 out of 5 county supervisors to get placed on the ballot. And it never mentioned specifically what projects the money goes for. And it never mentions that they cannot increase the amount they want from each property owner. This should be tied up in the courts. Property owners…why aren’t you screaming!
This is just one more example of how our government entities in California are slowly tearing apart the low property taxes Prop 13 was passed to maintain. A million different fees, charges, and now this! Our property taxes at this rate are going to be just as bad as they would have been had Prop 13 never passed thanks to our greedy government leaders who always need more and more money for their incompetence! JUST ONE MORE READON THE MIDDLE CLASS WILL END UP FLEEING CALIFORNIA IN DROVES – MORE THAN THEY ALREADY ARE!