Cityhood notions caught fire in the mid-1970s when Valley business and political leaders formed the Committee Investigating Valley Independence City and County. City officials criticized the study's accuracy, and state lawmakers killed cityhood. A measure pushed through the Legislature gave the City Council veto power over any secessionist cityhood proposal. I knew there were strong feelings, strong advocates for secession. The League of California Cities was pretty adamant.
Councils protect their own turf.
The third cityhood movement flared after advocates for breaking up the Los Angeles Unified School District got a state law passed in 1995 that lowered the threshold of signatures needed to place a breakup measure on the ballot. The school board's veto power also was removed. Former Assemblywoman Paula Boland led that fight and followed with a measure in 1996 to remove the City Council's veto over cityhood. Valley VOTE was formed to generate support. Scott recalled that Boland announced her measure at a meeting hosted by the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley, where Mayor Richard Riordan was a guest.