OpEd: Measure A – Affordability In WeHo, Put It On The Ballot.

Are you ready to take back WeHo?  Want to make WeHo more affordable?   

Under the current law, the West Hollywood City Council does not have the authority to make any changes to large scale developments.  State mandates govern our housing policy.    

Under the current law, all West Hollywood business are saddled with the hotel worker minimum wage and ordinance rules.  In January, the hotel workers will make less than all other workers (story here.)

This ordinance offers part time employees sick and vacation pay.    An inexperienced city council did not understand business or the hospitality industry.  The city council gave away its right to make any changes to this policy when the UNITE HERE Local 11 took over the majority of the city council in 2020, strengthened their hand in 2022, and kept the control in 2024.

Prices are skyrocketing at local restaurants with surcharges –  every restaurant is forced to pay both the minimum wage and tips.  Most people used credit cards.  The restaurant also has to pay the tax on the tips.  The formula leads to higher prices, less service, and vacant storefronts.    

WeHo has the highest sales tax in all the land at 10.50%.   The additional revenue suppose to clean up the homeless problem.   It’s not working. 

Do you know the difference between affordable housing and housing that is affordable?  Affordable housing is special housing that you qualify for.  You get affordable housing by being selected in a lotto. But before they build that new affordable housing unit, and create more affordable housing, they have to demo the rent-stabilized unit you are in.   

Housing that is affordable is nearly impossible in WeHo’s high cost environment, with a long permitting time, high cost of land, highest cost of labor, and then mandating 20% of the project be set aside for the ‘lotto’ affordable housing’ . 

So a city founded on rent control, that is 80% renters, now has the highest rents in the region.  It worked at first.  I’m not sure it’s working now.  City council policies have incentivized the sale and destruction of rent-controlled units in the name of providing more affordable housing for the long line on the ‘lotto’ list.  

The city council keeps voting to make it harder for a future city council to make updates and changes to policies.  In the last election, UNITE HERE Local 11 spent a couple of million bucks to gather signatures to put ‘locking in the inflation on a runaway worker package that grows exponentially’ and they used the emotional ‘ban the airbnb in our city’, to get those signatures.  They said to residents, you’re just signing to put it on the ballot.  And then, the majority, UNITE HERE Local 11 supported candidates adopted the policy as law and the voters never got a chance to vote.  They lied.

Too many of you are screaming at Washington, when you should be screaming at whats happening in WeHo!  We have no power unless we take it back.  Measure A.  Affordability in WeHo.    

a) rescind the previous initiative and give the city council the right to make future changes.  (no specific change), just the right to make changes as needed.   

b) freeze the minimum wage in West Hollywood until we are the same as Beverly Hills.  (how bout that!) The minimum wage in Beverly Hills is $16.50 in 2025.   Its $19.65 in West Hollywood.   And $20.25 in Jan.

c) ban surcharges at local businesses.  

and if we really want to drive turnout — put Fountain Ave. on the ballot.   

–What’s next.  Are you ready to fight for WeHo?  

Nov-Dec: Form Measure A committee of stakeholders 

Jan: Developing legal language to place on ballot, begin fundraising.

Feb-March: Organize teams to hit voters, organize volunteers. 

April-May-June: Gather signatures.  Once the measure is presented and approved by the city clerk there is 90 days to gather the necessary signatures.  10% of the electorate – we need about 3000 signatures.   

November: move ballot initiative to voters 

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Is it far fetched?  I don’t think so.  It was 2011 when I knocked on a neighbor’s door and asked Steve Martin to write the language for term limits — it began with skepticism.  And eventually, I was proud to write the “PRO” on the ballot and we did it.  The idea was to ‘take back the power’ from a city council accused of credit card abuse, sexual scandals and insider dealing.   

Then the council changed the rules to move our local elections to November – in the crowded Presidential and Senate races, – and drowned out the goals of term limits in off elections where informed voters could make choices.  Beverly Hills moved their local elections to June where residents can vote and discuss local policies.  WeHo moved it on top of the November ballot where party affiliations and national issues drown out the local issues and local election focus.   

So this is where we are going.  Are we are going to fight to take back WeHo.  Are you ready? 

Wanna help write language?

Our magical city of West Hollywood, founded 42 years ago as an affordable haven, has become the most expensive city in Southern California.  Rents and wages are the highest in the region, and the highest in Southern California, and among the highest in nation.  Due to a built in yearly increase in wages, costs will continue to escalate.  West Hollywood is becoming less competitive.  

The decline in West Hollywood can be seen on the streets with vacant storefronts and homeless.  Property values have decreased.  Crime has become more violent, more commonplace.   

{I’ll let you finish}  Wanna join the Take Back WeHo team?   

Why we have to fight to give the city council it’s own power to make decisions that govern over West Hollywood?     Refresh yourself here:  https://wehoonline.com/oped-game-set-match/