Guide to the Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment Collection

Special Collections & Archives

University Library

California State University, Northridge

18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330-8326

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Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives

Title: Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment Collection

Creator: Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment

Identifier/Call Number: URB.VOTE

Extent: 13.93 linear feet

Extent: 5.82 Gigabytes

Date (inclusive): 1978-2003

Date (bulk): 1997-2002

Abstract: Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment (Valley VOTE) is the non-profit organization which led the secession efforts of the San Fernando Valley from 1997-2002. The collection documents their petition drive, the resulting investigation by the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles (LAFCO), and the Measure F campaign which allowed Los Angeles residents to vote on the issue of secession.

Language of Material: English, Spanish; Castilian

Historical Note:

Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment (Valley VOTE) is the non-profit organization which led the secession efforts of the San Fernando Valley from 1997-2002. The group was formed in 1996 under the direction of two San Fernando Valley Residents: commercial real estate broker, Jeff Brain, and attorney, Richard Close.

In 1997, shortly after California Governor Pete Wilson signed a bill removing the veto power of city councils in cases of municipal reorganization and requiring instead a majority community vote, Valley VOTE launched a petition drive to initiate a feasibility study on the detachment of the San Fernando Valley from the City of Los Angeles. The petition drive was ultimately successful and in 1999 the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles (LAFCO) began an investigation to determine the fiscal self-sufficiency of a new valley city and measure the fiscal impacts of Valley cityhood on the City of Los Angeles. The LAFCO investigation required extensive reports from both Valley VOTE and the City of Los Angeles, as well as public hearings. During this time, other local communities were attempting similar detachment efforts, including Hollywood and L.A.'s Harbor area.

In 2002, LAFCO approved the San Fernando Valley Proposal for Special Reorganization and Ballot Measure F was scheduled for the fall 2002 election, giving Los Angeles residents the opportunity to vote on the issue. In addition to determining Valley secession, the 2002 ballot also gave residents the opportunity to name the new city and elect a mayor and council members. Valley VOTE led the campaigning efforts in support of Measure F, but the measure failed to garner the necessary votes to pass.

Valley VOTE continues to operate as a non-profit organization focused on improving local government.

Scope and Contents

The Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment Collection documents the efforts of the San Fernando Valley residents who, from 1997-2002, attempted to secede from the city of Los Angeles to form a separate municipality. The collection includes their petition drive, the investigation conducted by the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles (LAFCO), and the Measure F campaign which allowed Los Angeles residents to vote on the issue.

The collection is divided into four series: Organizing Files (1978-2003), Local Agency Formation Commission of Los Angeles County Investigation (1998-2003), City of Los Angeles (1994-2002), and Reorganization Efforts of Nearby Communities (1994-2002).

Series I, Organizing Files, documents Valley VOTE's grassroots efforts to create an autonomous municipality in the San Fernando Valley. The series is further divided into four subseries: Administrative Files (1992-2003), Outreach and Events (1997-2003), Special Issues (1987-2002), and Independent Reports and Publications (1978-2002). Subseries A, Administrative Files, consists of correspondence, Valley VOTE meeting agendas and minutes, research materials such as maps, legislature, and reports, housekeeping files, materials from affiliated organizations, and press coverage related to Valley VOTE's secession efforts beginning just before the initial petition drive in 1997 through the conclusion of the 2002 general election, including an audio recording of KRLA Radio 870's "Legal Challenges." Also included are materials documenting the candidates of local elections, including those running for office in the proposed new valley city. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within. Subseries B, Outreach and Events, documents Valley VOTE's promotional activities and volunteer efforts, including a letter writing campaign to Governor Wilson regarding Assembly Bill 62, the petition drive to initiate the LAFCO investigation, public submissions to rename the new valley city, and the Measure F Campaign. Contact lists, volunteer lists, event fliers and calendars, promotional handouts and forms, press kits, and campaign brochures are also included. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within. Subseries C, Special Issues, consists of those files identified by Valley VOTE as a special issue to their organizing efforts. The files maintain Valley VOTE's original naming conventions and are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within. Subseries D, Independent Reports and Publications, consists of publications on the topic of valley secession authored by individuals or organizations not directly tied to Valley VOTE's operations. Authors include the League of Women Voters, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, the Committee Investigating Valley Independent City/County, the Symposium on Rightsizing Local and Regional Government, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, California State University Northridge, California State University Sacramento, University of California Los Angeles, Harvard University, and scholars of political science, public policy, and economics. The files are arranged chronologically. For news publications, see Series I, Subseries A.

Series II, Local Agency Formation Commission of Los Angeles County Investigation, documents the formal investigation conducted by LAFCO which was initiated by Valley VOTE's Application for Special Reorganization petition drive. It consists primarily of reports submitted to LAFCO by Valley VOTE and the City of Los Angeles to determine the feasibility of detaching the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles. Reports cover the reorganization plan and proposal, the initial and comprehensive fiscal analysis, environmental impact, as well as follow-up comments and negotiations of Valley VOTE, city officials, and LAFCO's executive officer. Related meeting materials and correspondence are also included as well as audio recordings of several LAFCO proceedings and an audo recording of a special workshop on reorganization for LAFCO Commissioners. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within.

Series III, City of Los Angeles, documents aspects of the city's involvement in the secession movement and consists primarily of expenditure reports of various municipal departments. Organizational charts and meeting materials of the city's Ad Hoc Committee on Secession are also included, as well as a cost burden analysis conducted by an independent consultant on behalf of the city. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within.

Series IV, Reorganization Efforts of Nearby Communities, documents the secession efforts of other communities in Los Angeles with a predominant focus on Hollywood and the Harbor Area. The series includes promotional materials, maps, and correspondence as well as some of the formal reports submitted to the county for separate investigation. Additional Harbor reports can be found in Series II and are labeled as such for easy identification. The files are arranged alphabetically according to subject and chronologically within.

Arrangement of Materials:

Series I: Organizing Files, 1978-2003

Subseries A: Administrative Files, 1992-2003

Subseries B: Outreach and Events, 1997-2003

Subseries C: Special Issues, 1987-2002

Subseries D: Independent Reports and Publications, 1978-2002

Series II: Local Agency Formation Commission of Los Angeles County Investigation, 1998-2003

Series III: City of Los Angeles, 1994-2002

Series IV: Reorganization Efforts of Nearby Communities, 1994-2002

Electronic Format:

Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as a part of the San Fernando Valley History Digital Library.

Related Material

Harrison Sheppard Secession Movements Collection, 1961-2002

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Jeff Brain, 05/29/2003

Preferred Citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Processing Information:

Christine Hertzel, Inderdeep Kaur, and Tiffney Sanford, 2015

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Ephemera

Maps

Documents

Photographs

Audiovisual materials

Series I: Organizing Files, 1978-2003

Subseries A: Administrative Files, 1992-2003

Box 1, Folder 1

Adjacent Cities, Public Officials, 1998

Box 1, Folder 2

Alliance for Self-Determination, 1997-1998

Box 1, Folder 3

American Civil Liberties Union Press Releases, 1998

Box 1, Folder 4

Boundaries of San Fernando Study Area, with maps, 1996-1998

Box 1, Folder 5

Brain, Jeff Correspondence, 1996-1999

Box 1, Folder 6

Brain, Jeff Correspondence, 2000 May 8-2002 June 25

Box 1, Folder 7

Brain, Jeff Correspondence, 2002 July 1-2002 October 30

Box 1, Folder 8

California Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, 1999

Box 1, Folder 9

California Latino Redistricting Coalition, 2002

Box 1, Folder 10

Campaign Victory Proposal, 2002

Box 1, Folder 11

Candidates, New Valley City, 2001 August 22-2002 November 2

Box 1, Folder 12

Candidates, New Valley City, Rent Control Pledge, 2002

Box 1, Folder 13

Candidates Questionnaire, City Council District 7, 1999

Box 1, Folder 14

Candidates Questionnaire, Mayoral Race, 2001

Box 2, Folder 1

City Charters, Glendale and Burbank, 2000-2001

Box 2, Folder 2

City of Los Angeles Interactions, 1998-2002

Box 2, Folder 3

Civic Forum, 2002

Box 2, Folder 4

Consultants, 1997-1998

Box 2, Folder 5

Consultants, 1999

Box 2, Folder 6

Consultants, 2000-2001

Box 2, Folder 7

Debt of New Valley City

Box 2, Folder 8

Declaration of Independence of the People of San Fernando Valley, 2001-2002

Box 2, Folder 9

Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, 1999-2000

Box 2, Folder 10

Electorate Survey of San Fernando Valley, 1998 February 21-March 1

Box 2, Folder 11

Electorate Survey of San Fernando Valley, 1998 February 21- March 1

Box 2, Folder 12

Engineers and Architects Association, 2002

Box 3, Folder 1

Entertainment Industry Development Corporation, 2002

Box 3, Folder 2

Entertainment Industry Development Corporation, 2002

Box 3, Folder 3

Fitch Ratings, 2002 May

Box 3, Folder 4

Floor Plans, La Reina Fashion Plaza, 1998

Box 3, Folder 5

Hunt v. Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County, 2002 June

Box 3, Folder 6

Hunt v. Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County, 2002 July-November

Box 3, Folder 7

Independent Ballot Argument in Favor of Reorganization, 2002 August

Box 3, Folder 8

Independent Contractor, Agreement Forms, 2002

Box 3, Folder 9

Legal Committee, 1997

Box 3, Folder 10

Legislation, 1992

Box 3, Folder 11

Legislation, 1996-1997

Box 3, Folder 12

Legislation, 1999

Box 4, Folder 1

Legislation, 2000-2001

Box 4, Folder 2

Legislation, Government Code Sections, Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County Powers and Duties

Box 4, Folder 3

Legislative Council of California, 2001-2002

Box 4, Folder 4

Letter of Complaint to City Officials, 2002

Box 4, Folder 5

Maps of Los Angeles Regions

Box 4, Folder 6

Measure F, 2002

Box 4, Folder 7

Meetings, Notes, Correspondence, 1999-2003

Box 4, Folder 8

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Newsletter, 1998 August

Box 4, Folder 9

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, 1998 March-1999 January

Box 4, Folder 10

News Coverage, Press Releases, Letters to the Editor, 1997-2002

Box 4, Folder 11

News Coverage, Press Releases, Letters to the Editor, 2002 January 24-2002 June 30

Box 4, Folder 12

News Coverage, Press Releases, Letters to the Editor, 2002 July-2002 December

Box 5, Folder 1

Newspaper Bias Correspondence, 2002

Box 5, Folder 2

ONE Los Angeles

Box 5, Folder 3

Petition Application for Special Reorganization, 1998-2000

Box 5, Folder 4

Petition Drive, Kimball Petition Management, 1998

Box 5, Folder 5

Petition Drive, Progressive Campaigns Incorporated, 1998

Box 5, Folder 6

Petition Verification, 1999

Box 5, Folder 7

Petition Verification Fee, 1998

Box 5, Folder 8

Polls on Secession, 1996, 1999, 2001-2002

Box 5, Folder 9

Public Correspondence, 1998-2001

Box 5, Folder 10

Report Drafts, 2000-2002

Box 5, Folder 11

Report Drafts and Committee Meetings, 2001

Box 5, Folder 12

San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission Procedures Guide, 2000

Box 5, Folder 13

San Fernando Valley CIVIC Foundation

Box 5, Folder 14

San Fernando Valley Historical Society, 2001

Box 6, Folder 1

San Fernando Valley Independence Committee, 2001-2002

Box 6, Folder 2

Secession for Beginners

Box 6, Folder 3

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

Box 6, Folder 4

Supporting Organizations, 1996, 1998

Box 6, Folder 5

"Taxable Sales" State Board of Equalization, 1998 January 2

Box 6, Folder 6

United Chamber of Commerce, 2002 June

Box 6, Folder 7

Valley Industry and Commerce Association, 1996-1997, 2001-2002

Box 6, Folder 8

Van Nuys Airport, 2002 August 6

Box 29, Folder 1

Daily News, "Valley Generations of the 20th Century," 1999 December 31

Box 29, Folder 2

Maps of Los Angeles Region

Box 29, Folder 3

The 'Not Born Yesterday' Citizen, 1998 April

Box 29, Folder 4

San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 2002 April-2002 November

Box 29, Folder 5

Valley Bulletin, 2002 July 4

Folder 1

Floor Plans, La Reina Shopping Center, 1993

Digital Folder

KRLA Radio 870 "Legal Challenges," 2001 June 30

Subseries B: Outreach and Events, 1997-2003

Box 6, Folder 9

Brain, Jeff Speaking Notes, 2001-2003

Box 6, Folder 10

Contacts, 1997

Box 6, Folder 11

Contacts, 1998

Box 6, Folder 12

Events and Speakers Calendar, 1998-1999, 2001-2002

Box 6, Folder 13

Forms, 1999

Box 6, Folder 14

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Valley Secession, 1997-1998

Box 6, Folder 15

Friends of the Valley Committee

Box 7, Folder 1

Letter Writing Campaign to Governor Regarding AB62, 1997

Box 7, Folder 2

Letter Writing Campaign to Governor Regarding AB62, 1997

Box 7, Folder 3

Letter Writing Campaign to Governor Regarding AB62, 1997

Box 7, Folder 4

Letter Writing Campaign to Governor Regarding AB62, 1997

Box 7, Folder 5

Letter Writing Campaign to Governor Regarding AB62, 1997

Box 7, Folder 6

Measure F Campaign Events, 2002

Box 7, Folder 7

Measure F Campaign Promotion, Anti-Secession, 2002

Box 8, Folder 1

Measure F Campaign Promotion, Pro-Secession, 2002

Box 8, Folder 2