MAYOR: CHASE PARKING TAXES CITY MAY BE OUT $15 MILLION A YEAR.Byline: Dan Laidman Staff Writer Warning that 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. may be losing $15 million a year in unpaid parking taxes, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. asked law enforcement officials Friday to devise a plan to tackle the problem. The move comes after audits found numerous parking lot operators have repeatedly underpaid un·der·paid v. Past tense and past participle of underpay. underpaid Adjective not paid as much as the job deserves underpaid adj → the city's 10 percent parking lot tax, and that some lack valid permits. Villaraigosa also asked City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15 1960) is the current City Attorney of Los Angeles, California. Career
``This action will serve notice to the parking industry that the city of Los Angeles
The mayor also asked Police Commission President John Mack John Mack can refer to:
``What we want to do in working with the Police Commission is make whatever changes we think we need to make or recommend to the policymakers to possibly change the ordinance for the Parking Occupancy Tax so we can strengthen it to ensure we are able to collect all the money that's due to the city,'' said Christovale, who had recommended that the mayor pursue the issue. The parking tax - which is supposed to be levied on all of the approximately 1,800 lots in the city limits - brings in about $67 million a year in revenue. The money goes into the general fund that helps pay for public safety, recreation and library services, among other things. Suspecting rampant evasion, the Finance Department hired Parking Network Inc. last year to look into the matter. Christovale said the firm has produced audits of eight parking lot operators, underscored concerns, and floated the $15 million figure in potential lost revenue. The cumulative impact of the audits, which have not been made public, led to the mayor's requests. Earlier this month, City Controller Laura Chick released an audit critical of the management of city-run parking lots near Olvera Street Olvera Street is in the oldest part of Downtown Los Angeles, California, and is otherwise known as the birthplace of the City of Angels or El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument and is a department within the city. . Chick said she feared the problems the audit exposed, like loose financial controls, may apply to other municipal lots. Dan Laidman, (213) 978-0390 dan.laidman(at)dailynews.com |
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