What Hollywood Residents Need to Know About the March 8 Election

It’s almost time to go to the polls for the 2011 Special Election. So what do you need to know about the Los Angeles city elections?

First of all, be sure you are registered to vote. In California, the deadline to register to vote is 15 days before local and statewide elections—that means you need to register for the March 8 election on or before February 22.

Once you are registered, you’ll need to know the issues. There are 10 citywide ballot measures, which range from reassigning budget funds to help out city libraries to a proposed city tax on medical marijuana.

March 8 is an important election day for Hollywood, since the four-year District 4  seat is up. Incumbent Tom LaBonge faces two challengers, Stephen Box and Tomas O’Grady. If no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote plus one, the two top vote-getters will face a runoff election in May.

Looking for your polling location? Find out where it is here.

Want to vote-by-mail? Fill out this form and return it to the City Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. March 1.

City Council District 4 Candidates (Hollywood Patch will have in-depth profiles of each candidate later this week. Keep checking back!)

Incumbent Tom LaBonge 

Stephen Box

Tom O’Grady 

Ballot Measure Summary

Charter Amendment LA-G Pension Reform

Shall the Charter be amended: (1) to provide sworn Fire, Police, and Harbor Department employees, who are hired on or after July 1, 2011, with the pension benefits provided in the Fire and Police Pension Plan-Tier 6; and (2) to modify provisions of the Fire and Police Pension Plan in order to facilitate compliance with state and federal laws, to authorize the Council to establish an Excess Benefit Plan, to allow flexibility in establishing amortization policies, and to make technical changes?

Charter Amendment LA-H Restriction on Campaign Contributions from City Contractors

Shall the Charter be amended to (1) restrict campaign contributions and fundraising by bidders on certain City contracts; require increased disclosure for bidders; and provide for bans on future contracts for violators; and (2) build upon the city's voter-approved campaign trust fund, which provides limited public matching funds for qualified city candidates who agree to spending limits, by lifting the maximum balance in the fund while allowing the LA City Council by a two-thirds vote to not make the annual appropriation and temporarily transfer funds to meet City budgetary obligations in certain emergency conditions?

Charter Amendment LA-I DWP Ratepayer Advocate

Shall the City Charter be amended to establish an Office of Public Accountability for the Department of Water and Power, overseen by an Executive Director appointed by a citizens committee and confirmed by the Council and Mayor for a five-year term, to provide public independent analysis of DWP actions as they relate to water and electricity rates?

Charter Amendment LA-J DWP Revenue Transfers and Budget Deadline

Shall the Charter be amended to (a) require the Department of Water and Power for informational purposes to submit to the City Council by March 31 each year a preliminary budget for the ensuing fiscal year (July 1 through June 30), to be updated by May 31 with new information, and (b) establish procedures for making surplus transfers from the Power Revenue Fund to the City Reserve Fund?

Charter Amendment LA-L Reassignment of Funds for Library System

Shall the Charter be amended to incrementally increase the amount the City is required to dedicate annually from its General Fund to the Library Department to an amount equal to .0300% of the assessed value of all property in the City, and incrementally increase the Library Department's responsibility for its direct and indirect costs until it pays for all of its direct and indirect costs, in order to provide Los Angeles neighborhood public libraries with additional funding to help restore library service hours, purchase books and support library programs, subject to audits, using existing funds with no new taxes?

Proposition LA-M: Tax on Medical Marijuana

In order to fund general municipal services, including but not limited to such matters as police protection and crime suppression services, fire prevention and suppression services, park and recreation facilities, and general improvements throughout the city, shall a tax be authorized on marijuana collectives of $50 per $1,000 of gross receipts, recognizing that the sale of marijuana is illegal?

Measure LA-N: Public Funding of Campaigns

Shall the charter be amended to comply with recent court decisions and avoid liability to the city by removing from the charter three provisions determined by courts to be unconstitutional regarding campaign contribution limits on independent, non-candidate controlled groups' spending in city and LAUSD elections and notice and contribution limits regarding self-financed candidates that lifts contribution limits for only some candidates in city elections?

Proposition LA-O: Tax on Oil Companies

In order to fund general municipal services, including but not limited to such matters as police protection and crime suppression services, fire prevention and suppression services, park and recreation facilities, and general improvements throughout the city, shall an ordinance be adopted to impose a tax on oil producing businesses of $1.44 per barrel of oil produced in the City of Los Angeles?

Charter Amendment LA-P: Emergency Reserve and Budget Stabilization Fund

Shall the Charter be amended to: Establish an emergency reserve account within the city's reserve fund, with an annual balance of not less than two and three-fourths percent of General Fund receipts, to be accessed only if the city council finds by a two-thirds vote that there is an urgent economic necessity and to be replenished in the subsequent fiscal year except in the event of a catastrophe; establish a contingency reserve account within the reserve fund for expenditures and revenue shortfalls unanticipated in the annual budget with details defined by ordinance; and establish a budget stabilization fund within the city treasury with details defined by ordinance?

Charter Amendment LA-Q: Civil Service Hiring Rule Changes

Shall the Charter be amended to: (1) expand the automatic civil service exemptions to include deputy chiefs of fire; (2) limit the number of qualified applicants testing for civil service positions to an adequate number to prevent examinations of unnecessarily large candidate pools; (3) eliminate the requirement for certifying all eligible candidates for appointment to a civil service position when the candidates' scores are not reachable or when no hiring is taking place; (4) clarify and standardize the probationary period for police officers to accurately reflect its application to sworn officers from the Airport, Harbor and General Services Departments; (5) increase the length of emergency appointments to no longer than one year; and (6) extend the amount of time retirees may work from 90 to 120 days without increasing pension benefits?

Source:http://www.smartvoter.org