They are exploring various forms of city government, city charters, and the best practices of desirable and efficient cities. The goal of this effort is to identify certain principles, which would provide the basis of city governance. If the San Fernando Valley decides to pursue cityhood the ultimate decision on defining a specific form of city government will be decided by the new city residents and voters. No, real property taxes are determined by the County. Neither the City of Los Angeles nor a newly formed City have the ability to alter your property taxes.
Experts seem to concur though that smaller cities have lower taxes and provide better services.
In testimony to that, currently the City of Los Angeles has some of the highest taxes and fees in all of Southern California. As an independent city, the current taxation situation within the City of Los Angeles is one of the major motivators of pursuing becoming our own city. For years the San Fernando Valley has given the benefit of the doubt to the City Council and bureaucracy to make our communities and our lives better, but no more. The charter commissions placed their recommendations for reform on the April 1999 ballot while cityhood is likely to be on the ballot in the year 2002. The San Fernando Valley has a rich diversity of minorities, many of whom are involved in the effort to study cityhood.