MUNICIPAL MEASURES OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO AID CITY.

Byline: H. Eric Schockman LOCAL VIEW

THERE are eight municipal measures on the ballot this election and the immediate question is, do they matter?

The resounding response from the local electorate should be, you bet!

More specifically, there are three bond measures (Propositions CC, DD, EE), one special tax measure (Proposition JJ), and four minor charter amendments (Amendments FF, GG, HH, II).

Confused? Sounds already like a lot of alphabet soup.

In the post-Proposition 13 era, bond funding has become a mainstay in the tool kit of local government to finance long-term projects. Recently the city's

overall bonded indebtedness has raised serious discussions among certain sectors. Depending on who you talk to in the city's officialdom (and who you choose to believe) bonded indebtedness is or is not a major concern in voting for new additional bonds.

For the sake of argument, let's say it is benign and put that debate aside. We can examine in particular the three bond measures and the special tax measure - all of which will need a two-thirds vote to become law.

Proposition CC would issue $47.6 million in bonds to construct and rehabilitate animal exhibits and facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo. It would cost in property taxes an estimated $1.89 per year over 20 years on an average $162,000 home.

The ballot argument in favor of this measure was signed by world famous chimp expert Jane Goodall and a bipartisan cast of influential people. No ballot argument was submitted against this measure. Is the cost of a candy bar per month for each of us worth the investment in a world-class zoo? Probably.

Proposition DD would issue $178.3 million in bonds to buy land, construct and rehabilitate 32 branches of the Los Angeles Public Library throughout the city. The average estimated property tax on a $162,000 home will be $7.06 each year for 20 years. Proposition DD is deftly written to ensure all parts of the city get an infusion of library funds. For me, public libraries are like motherhood and apple pie, and we can never invest enough.

Proposition EE would issue $46.5 million in bonds to rehabilitate, construct and expand facilities at Exposition Park. The average estimated tax on a $162,000 home will be $1.85 per year over 20 years. No ballot argument was submitted against this measure and it has strong bipartisan support. For me, Proposition EE would continue to reclaim a historic public public space - who knows, it might even help lure a professional football team to the Coliseum.

Proposition JJ collects a special tax from property owners totaling $769.4 million for repairs to 4,600 miles of sidewalks throughout the city. It would add an estimated $20.87 each year for 20 years for an average 1,200-square-foot house. Proposition JJ is also the city's attempt to raise funds to improve access for the disabled as dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA, of course, while a noble effort, was also an unfunded mandate from the federal government. For me, this measure is about safety from those ``trip and fall'' suits caused by dangerous sidewalks and about equity for the mobility of the disabled.

The remaining four minor charter amendments are in themselves a testimonial to why we need a new city charter. Why voters are being asked to waste their time in voting on these when in actuality they should be resolved by simple ordinance is demonstrative of the dysfunctionality of our current Byzantine charter. Until charter reform arrives, however, let's deal with the reality at hand.

Charter Amendment FF would do two things: it would grant pension benefits to firefighters and police officers whose agencies were merged or contracted for fire or police service (without waiting for 20 years of city service to be eligible); and it would grant domestic partner benefits to firefighters and police officers. If we want high caliber public safety personnel who put their lives on the line everyday, we need to treat them equitably.

Charter Amendment GG would permit the City Council to ask the Civil Service Commission to set job requirements for persons from another agency when a function of that agency is taken over by the city. Strict hiring standards must be met by the city to ensure quality service that the public expects.

Charter Amendment HH would give the mayor and City Council the authority to transfer powers and/or functions of departments of airports, harbor, water and power, pensions and the City Employee's Retirement System. For me, Amendment HH makes efficiency sense to allow our elected representatives broad latitude to organize city services for all the 44 city agencies, not just one.

Lastly, Charter Amendment II would allow firefighters and police officers hired during the last half of 1997 to change pension plans. The origins of this amendment have to do with public safety personnel the city acquired with the closure of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and the elimination of the MTA police department. About 165 individuals were caught in a bureaucratic mix-up and without this amendment would get shafted in obtaining a viable retirement plan offered to all other personnel. Amendment II attempts to remedy an unfair arrangement and according to the analysis would result in negligible additional cost to the city.