Council Backs Riordan Budget, Dumps ‘Cat Tax’

The Los Angeles City Council overwhelmingly rejected a proposed “cat tax” Monday, but left intact most of Mayor Richard Riordan’s $2.7-billion spending plan, capping a 1997-98 budget session marked by remarkably little controversy.

Completing budget deliberations on the mayor’s spending plan, lawmakers agreed to close a projected $75-million deficit and boosted city spending by $100 million. The budget, in its final form, probably will come back to the council for a final vote next week; the mayor has five days to review it and make changes.

Mayoral aides said they were generally pleased with the council’s budget deliberations this year.

“We feel the council supported the mayor’s proposal and priorities very, very well,” said Deane Leavenworth, a Riordan spokesman.

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Councilman Richard Alatorre--a Riordan ally who chaired the council’s Budget Committee--praised the mayor and his staff for the plan’s quality.

“I think the budget was an excellent document,” Alatorre said. “We just improved it.”

While lawmakers were generally supportive of the mayor’s budget, they could not tolerate a license fee on cat owners, many of whom have been outspoken in objecting to the tax. (About a dozen opponents testified before the council Monday morning, reiterating their concerns that cat owners would be unfairly targeted and that the fee would do nothing to reduce the number of cats being killed in animal shelters.)

Acting on a motion by Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, who owns a cat and a dog, the council voted 14 to 1, with Councilwoman Rita Walters dissenting, to eliminate the cat tax. “I don’t think it unglues the budget,” Goldberg said, adding that she doesn’t think that the council had enough information about the consequences of such a fee.

Councilman Joel Wachs took it further: “I just think it’s an absurd law. It’s totally unenforceable.”

Under the mayor’s proposal, which he acknowledged was controversial--Riordan said his own daughter picketed his house in protest--cat owners would be charged $8 for a spayed or neutered cat or $30 for an unfixed one. The fees were expected to generate less than $200,000 a year.

Although the council did not make huge changes to the budget, lawmakers did add $6.4 million to the reserve fund, bringing that to $44.4 million this year; added 12 positions to the city attorney’s office, and restored with $2 million the “unappropriated balance” fund to help lawmakers pay for programs without dipping into reserves.

Under the spending plan, the city is expected to retain its high credit ratings, according to Wall Street credit rating agency officials who testified last week. The higher reserves help make the city more fiscally responsible, they said.

Council President John Ferraro said in an interview that his colleagues had some “personal” items they wanted included in the budget, which were mostly sent to council committees for consideration. Overall, he said the process went smoothly, without the acrimony that has marked many budget sessions in the past.

“I thought it was very good,” Ferraro said, adding that he was pleased that council members refrained from making impossible requests.

“It used to be brutal,” Ferraro said. “Everyone wanted to increase, increase, increase [the budget]. Now, we have an understanding that if you’re going to add something, you better find a way to pay for it.”

To be sure, council members attempted to secure additions to the budget that were particularly important to them. Most of those, however, were sent to the various council committees for review, though they still may be added to the budget later.

Councilman Richard Alarcon proposed an additional $2.7 million for the Fire Department to restore 30 firefighter positions previously cut. Councilwoman Ruth Galanter sought agreement for the Los Angeles Police Department to add a canine bomb detection unit at Los Angeles International Airport.

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The council also lifted a citywide hiring freeze, allowing departments to begin hiring and replacing staff without first seeking the council’s approval. That item is expected to be met with great relief by city general managers who had bristled over the tedious process of going through the Personnel Committee every time they wanted to fill a job covered by the hiring freeze.

The lawmakers also approved a citywide pilot program aimed at cracking down on commercial interests that illegally hang signs on city poles. That program, which will begin on such busy streets as Ventura Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and Alvarado and Main streets, will include a staff increase to help enforce that law.

“It’s about time we actively collect money against perpetrators . . . who degrade the quality of life in neighborhoods we represent,” Councilman Mike Feuer said. “Let’s start here.”

But some council members cautioned that they didn’t want the city to crack down on residents who are posting signs for lost dogs or garage sales.

“I think we have to make a distinction,” said Councilman Hal Bernson. “I don’t want to impose fines on people who lost dogs.”

And speaking of dogs, council members suggested that the city crack down on dog licenses--rather than cat licenses.

“If we could just get more of the dogs licensed, we’d be in great shape,” Ferraro said. “Who’s responsible for a cat? They’re independent as hell.”