A California State Assembly committee voted Thursday to advance a bill that would create a task force to study the feasibility of East Los Angeles becoming a city or special district.
The Appropriations Committee unanimously voted 14-0 in favor of the legislation, Assembly Bill 2986, sponsored by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo. It calls for the task force to consist of 11 members who would be appointed by the Local Agency Formation Committee for the County of Los Angeles (LALAFCO).
The task force would meet quarterly and would be required to submit an analysis by December 2026, detailing potential impacts of city and special district incorporation. It would list advantages, disadvantages and future recommendations.
Carrillo authored the piece of legislation because she said the region, which consists of more than 120,000 people, is in need of more public services.
The Assemblymember held a listening session last month at East Los Tacos where more than 130 residents, business owners and city officials shared their thoughts on the bill.
In an email sent to constituents on Thursday, Carrillo said she was thrilled to see her bill overcome “a major hurdle in the legislative process.” She also noted that the legislation “does not mandate cityhood nor does it impact county services.”
“It is solely a study,” she said.
Carrillo also addressed pushback from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, saying that despite opposition, “the 120,000 residents of East L.A. are being heard.”
County supervisor Hilda Solis released a statement on Friday against the bill, saying that it “ignores previous economic viability analyses from four failed incorporation attempts.” She also said it “does not give adequate consideration to the study’s estimated $5.8-million price tag.”
“AB 2986 fails at multiple levels — the financial, factual, and functional — and is an expensive, misleading, unnecessary effort that would be a real disservice to the people and businesses of East Los Angeles,” Solis said.
Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors passed a motion opposing the proposed bill, offering, instead, a county-led study over the course of four months. Carrillo questioned if it was a sufficient amount of time to get an accurate financial study for the community.
In 2012, a previous attempt to secede the area from the county failed after the LALAFCO determined that East L.A. would not be able sustain itself financially as a city.
The bill will now be voted on the Assembly floor before it heads to the State Senate, according to Carrillo.
Editor’s Note: The subhead in a previous version of this story was edited for clarification on cityhood efforts.
