COUNCIL FACING TOUGH LIVING WAGE DECISION MEMBERS TO SAY WHETHER REPEAL OR ELECTION IS BETTER.Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer With a ballot referendum increasingly likely, the City Council was told Monday that repealing its extension of the living-wage ordinance to hotels near LAX is the only way to avert a costly election in May. City Clerk In the United States, a City Clerk is an elected or appointed official who is responsible as the official keeper of the municipal records. In some places, the Clerk may be known as the "Village Clerk" or "Town Clerk". Frank Martinez said his office will determine by Thursday whether the referendum has qualified -- although it appears likely since twice the required number of signatures were submitted -- and the council is limited in what it can do. ``The only real decision is whether to repeal the action or to have the election,'' Martinez said. Over the opposition of hotel owners and business groups, the council voted Nov. 22 to extend the city's living-wage ordinance to cover the estimated 2,500 workers at hotels along Century Boulevard. The hotels are among the busiest in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , but pay employees about 20 percent less than other major hotels, city studies show. The living-wage ordinance requires hourly pay of $9.08 with health benefits or $10.33 without benefits. The only other referendum ever to qualify in L.A. challenged tough regulations on bars offering adult-only entertainment. The council subsequently repealed the measure and worked out a compromise with the adult-entertainment industry. Gary Toebben, chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, told members of the Budget and Finance Committee that the law is jeopardizing the finances of hotels near city-owned Los Angeles International Airport “LAX” redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation). “KLAX” redirects here. For other uses, see KLAX (disambiguation). Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX . ``I just want you to think that these hotels paid $36 million to the city last year in the transient occupancy tax Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is levied for the privilege of occupying a room or rooms or other living space in a hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel or other lodging (defined below) for a period of 30 days or less. and more than $10 million in gross receipts taxes A gross receipts tax, sometimes referred to as a gross excise tax, is a tax on the total gross revenues of a company, regardless of their source. It is similar to a sales tax, but it is levied on the seller of goods or services rather than the consumer. ,'' Toebben said. ``It seems to me these hotels have been your partners in funding the operations of this city.'' Martinez said the cost of the election could be as much as $3 million to the city if there are no other elections, either in runoffs for the City Council, Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. and Community College Board of Trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. . In addition, Martinez predicted that the election would have a voter turnout of less than 15 percent. rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 |
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