EDITORIAL : L.A. PARK MUGGING; PUBLIC SHOULD CLOSELY OBSERVE CITY'S USE OF PARK ASSESSMENT DOLLARS.

BEGINNING with this month's semiannual property tax bill and continuing for the next 30 years, Los Angeles property owners will pay, on average, an extra $18.45 a year for a special assessment to improve public parks and recreation facilities.

Voters authorized the assessment in November 1996, when they narrowly approved Proposition K.

The public was promised - and has a right to expect - that the funds will be used effectively and efficiently.

However, some of the applications that have been submitted by organizations seeking a share of the proceeds from Proposition K already are causing some concern, as the Daily News reported Sunday. Some proposals seem far removed from the stated purpose of the ballot measure or contain questionable cost estimates and other shortcomings.

Leaders must make it a priority to keep the selection process open and competitive and make sure worthy projects are selected.

City officials have set up procedures to narrow the field of applicants, and we hope the list of final candidates will be made up of well-qualified applicants. Otherwise, public skepticism about how the government handles taxpayer dollars could intensify - if that's possible.

In a pre-election editorial, the Daily News recommended voters not approve Proposition K for a number of reasons, including the community's lack of trust in the City Council to treat all areas of L.A. fairly and make sure that all the money generated by the assessments will go to worthy projects.

Unlike the Proposition BB school-improvement bond measure, the park proposition does not provide for an independent oversight committee or audit mechanism. Consequently, the public needs to keep an especially close eye on how City Hall spends the Proposition K money.