CITIES SHORTCHANGED? NEEDS SPUR CALL FOR TAX PROBE.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Tired of battling for more money from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for road projects in north Los Angeles County, the city is expected to join Lancaster, Palmdale and the county for a study that will show how much residents contribute in taxes.

Armed with that information, the four parties, as the North County Transportation Coalition, could demand more money from the MTA, as well as state sources, to improve traffic flow in the area.

``There's a perception that we pay more than we get,'' said Ron Kilcoyne, transportation manager for the city. ``Are we a donor or are we a recipient?

``If we're a donor, we can use the report to seek more money. If it's even, we can justify a continued investment in the area. We never did a careful, thorough analysis of what we're putting in and what we're taking out.''

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve contributing $12,500 toward the study, which will have a total cost of $50,000.

The study will look at how much the north county area contributes through Proposition A and Proposition C county sales tax money and state sales tax funds under the Transportation Development Act.

The participants expect to have proof that area residents have consistently been shortchanged, said Jo Anne Darcy, Santa Clarita mayor and vice president of the North County Transportation Coalition.

``We've never been satisfied that we get anywhere near our fair share,'' Darcy said. ``It's necessary to prove to them whether or not we are being shorted. If we are being cheated, we need to go after it.''

The study should take only a couple of months to complete, but lobbying for an increase in transportation funds could take a lot longer, Darcy said.

Still, an increase would go a long way in helping to improve traffic flow in Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale, Darcy said. The areas have steadily become more congested with increased development, she said.

Projects that have benefited from state and MTA money include the commuter lanes on the Antelope Valley Freeway, the Newhall Metrolink station and a maintenance facility for city buses, Kilcoyne said. More money could allow the city to make interchange improvements along the Golden State Freeway, he said.

The joint effort is an example of what cities need to do to protect revenue that belongs to them, Darcy said.

The state traditionally has kept money it would normally distribute to cities to balance its budget, Darcy said. Now that the economy is strong and the state has excess funds, some of that money should be returned, she said.

``It's time. There is surplus money in the state,'' Darcy said. ``We want them to know they can't keep doing this to us. We need a stable budget all the time, also.''