RESIDENTS HEAR PLAN FOR NEW COUNTY; KNIGHT EXPECTS HARD FIGHT FROM EXISTING GOVERNMENTS.Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer State Sen. W.J. ``Pete'' Knight's proposed High Desert County is already sparking polarized A one-way direction of a signal or the molecules within a material pointing in one direction. reactions in Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, , which would join such communities as Lancaster, Barstow and Apple Valley in a new government. ``We found that when we became a city, we were able to be more responsive to residents,'' Canyon Country resident Bob Kellar said. ``I can't help but think this would have the same effect.'' But another observer Friday at Knight's press conference at Santa Clarita City Hall commented that he wouldn't want his tax money going to the community of Needles, near the California-Nevada border. While living 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. County, he said, at least he can enjoy the beaches at its southern end. The difference in opinion is likely to be magnified in legislative battles over the proposal to create California's 59th county, which would be the first formed in the state since 1903. Knight wants portions of northern Los Angeles County, southern Kern County and northern San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. County to become High Desert County. Officials say the new county would be roughly the size of Ventura County, with a booming economic base that would support residents' needs. Economics and politics aside, the question locally is whether Santa Clarita residents align themselves with the high desert, an area that calls to mind the vast dryness on the drive to Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. . Does Santa Clarita share concerns with residents of Needles and Hesperia? Santa Clarita voters may never get the chance to ask themselves those questions if officials in Los Angeles, Kern and San Bernardino counties have their way. Knight's bill, which would eliminate the signature-collecting step required to get the proposal on the ballot, would have to get past state and county lawmakers expected to fight to keep Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale in Los Angeles County, Victor Valley in San Bernardino County and Mojave and California City in Kern County. The tax money residents in those areas generate for their counties is too much to give up easily. Knight claims the communities within his proposed county do not get their fair share of services for the tax revenues they contribute to Los Angeles, Kern and San Bernardino counties. Knight said he plans to draft an amendment to the state Constitution next year if his county bill is successful. The amendment would change voting procedure for forming a new county, allowing only people within the proposed boundary to vote on the matter. The amendment would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Unless the law is changed, all voters in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Kern counties would be able to cast ballots on whether to form High Desert County. ``They're not going to allow a whole tax base to break away,'' Knight acknowledged. ``We want the Legislature to negate that process. The Los Angeles legislators will face tremendous pressure from the (county) supervisors. But on the other hand, a lot of the legislators around the state may want to take on L.A. County.'' About 700,000 people live in the area Knight wants to carve out to make or get by cutting, or as if by cutting; to cut out. - Shak. See also: Carve for a new county. The population is expected to grow to about 1 million in the next 10 years. The boundary stretches from the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. in Santa Clarita to the Nevada border. Communities such as Castaic and Stevenson Ranch Stevenson Ranch, California (in the 91381 ZIP Code) is a Los Angeles County, USA, unincorporated community west of Santa Clarita a few miles south of Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The Stevenson Ranch fountain was redone in 2007. have not been included in the tentative boundaries. Neither has the proposed 24,000-home Newhall Ranch development. They are welcome to join, said Cameron Smyth Cameron Smyth is a Republican who has represented Califoria's 38th Assembly district since December of 2006. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term limited. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Assemblyman Smyth served on the Santa Clarita City Council, where he , deputy chief of staff for Knight. The proposed county cannot split school districts or cities, Smyth said. No vote could come earlier than 1999, but it could be a decade before the issue goes before voters, Knight representatives said. CAPTION(S): Photo, Map PHOTO (Ran in SAC Edition only) State Sen. W.J. `Pete' Knight discusses his plan for a proposed High Desert County at Santa Clarita City Hall on Friday. John Lazar John Lazar was Mayor of Adelaide from 1855 to 1858. John LaZar (born May 22, 1946) is a classically trained American actor of both stage and screen. / Special to the Daily News MAP: (Color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour SAC Edition only) no caption (proposed High Desert County and new boundaries) |
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