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County Government At the county level, the Antelope Valley is under the jurisdiction of both the Los Angeles and Kern County Boards of Supervisors, each of which consists of five elected members. The county government, whose offices are located in the cities of Los Angeles and Bakersfield, respectively, operate many programs required by the state and federal governments and some municipal services in the unincorporated areas, or those areas not within or governed by incorporated cities such as Palmdale and Lancaster.
City governments in the larger cities of the Antelope Valley are administered by a city council, city manager, and various appointed commissions and staffed departments. Lancaster and Palmdale mayors are elected for two-year terms and council members serve four-year terms. Town councils, which are located in unincorporated communities, are elected every two years, with terms staggered. The Lancaster Redevelopment Agency and City Council meet every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 and 7 p.m., respectively. The meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 44933 N. Fern Ave., Lancaster. As the city’s legislative and policy entity, the mayor and four council members are responsible to the residents of Lancaster for all municipal programs and services, as well as any legislative matters concerning the city. The council approves and adopts ordinances, resolutions and contracts, and enacts regulations and policies. It appoints the city manager and city attorney, as well as members of commissions and citizen advisory committees that provide broad perspective in the decision-making process. City Council meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, with special or adjourned meetings scheduled as needed. Members of the council also serve as directors of the Lancaster Redevelopment Agency, the Financing Authority and the Housing Authority. Open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding major holidays). CITY OF RIDGECREST Ridgecrest serves as East Kern County’s regional nucleus for retail stores, medical services, banking and other services, all of which draw clientele for 100 miles in any direction. It is Kern County’s third-largest incorporated city and its second-largest urban area of a regional nature. It is an important recreational, filming and tourism hub, serving the Eastern Sierra High Desert Region and Death Valley, and it is itself a destination along the Highway 178 Scenic Corridor. The City Council and Redevelopment Agency meet in City Hall Council Chambers at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. CALIFORNIA CITY City Hall open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ROSAMOND The unincorporated community of Rosamond is represented by a quasi-governmental body known alternately as the Rosamond Town Council and Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), an advisory body of appointed local citizens. It has no fiscal authority or administrative organization. It seeks to accomplish its goals by serving as a legislative liaison, so to speak, between the community and county government. Municipal Advisory Council Members Town Councils In order to preserve rural lifestyles, some of the smaller communities in the Antelope Valley – such as Antelope Acres, Quartz Hill, Littlerock, Lake Los Angeles, Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake – have chosen a Town Council style of government. Each council generally has five members who are elected every two years. An election is held annually, with terms staggered. The Antelope Valley Association of Town Councils, formed in 1992, coordinates the councils’ activities. This organization provides an opportunity for all of the town councils in northern Los Angeles County to discuss common issues. Antelope Valley residents who are 18 years of age and older, and residents of California, may register to vote. You may pick up voter registration forms at city halls, libraries, DMV offices, post offices and at the office of the registrar of voters. Be sure to register at least 29 days before an election. Taxes in Los Angeles County follow the California system. The state sales tax rate for Los Angeles County was increased to 8.25 percent on Jan. 1, 2002. Personal income tax is based on earnings, and unemployment insurance is currently at 5.4 percent. Residents must pay taxes on real estate, car licenses, cigarettes, wine and liquor, inheritance and hotel beds. You will be taxed on any property you own based on its appraised value. The average property tax rate in California is 1.25 percent. You may qualify for exemptions if you are 65 or older, or a disabled veteran. Property tax questions may be directed to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office, 213/947-3211, 310-534-6200 or locally, 251 East Ave. K-6, Lancaster, 661/940-6700. Board of Equalization – Sales and Use Tax, Bakersfield 800/432-2829. Franchise Tax Board – Bakersfield District Office, 1430 Truxton Ave., Suite 120, Bakersfield, 800/852-5711 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Federal Tax Information 800/829-1040 Judicial System Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center Mojave Municipal Court
The Antelope Valley is one the safest places in the country to live, according to recent FBI and L.A. County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Serious crimes in the Antelope Valley have continued to drop, with both Lancaster and Palmdale reporting decreases despite growing populations. Major crimes, including murder and rape, have declined because of the effective cooperation between local elected officials and LASD. In Palmdale, for example, the crime rate has declined 37 percent since 1991. To change the effects of negative perceptions and crime, the city governments have adopted positive community-based policing programs in conjunction with the LASD with whom they contract for law enforcement services for their cities. The Sheriff’s Department maintains three substations in the Antelope Valley, including a substation in Lancaster, in Palmdale, and in Littlerock. The 50,900-square-foot Sheriff’s Station in Lancaster houses approximately 300 employees, most of them sworn deputies, as well as a jail, communications and dispatch center, and a detective bureau. Target-oriented policing, as well as community-oriented policing aimed at resident concerns, are part of the law enforcement plan. The new 47,000-square-foot Palmdale Sheriff’s Station opened in July 2006, becoming the first standalone sheriff’s station to be built in the city. Located at 750 E. Ave. Q, the station features a helipad, 7,800-square-foot holding facility and an 8,300-square-foot vehicle maintenance building. All booking and dispatching operates out of this new facility. Los Angeles County funded the facility’s $23.9 million construction, while Palmdale contributed land at the cost of $1.3 million and street improvements valued at $1 million. Palmdale sheriff’s personnel includes 126 deputies and 33 additional personnel, a detective bureau and secretarial staff. Its extensive gang detective unit and Partners Against Crime Program cooperates with managers and tenants to reduce crime and clean up deteriorated housing. Besides traditional law enforcement, including traffic duties, sheriff’s deputies provide outreach services to the community, such as supervising Neighborhood Watch Programs and Rape Prevention Centers. In addition to patrol cars, the Sheriff’s Department uses helicopters to patrol the desert skies 24 hours a day. Community Services Officers (CSOs) take care of truancy problems and take burglary reports. Because CSOs perform these backup services, it allows deputies to handle more serious crimes that may occur. Volunteer programs in both cities help to relieve law enforcement officers by participating in the Safe Walk Volunteers, Volunteers on Patrol, Options for Public Safety, Explorer Scouts and other programs. The City of Lancaster rolled out its new CodeRED Notification Service in January 2006, giving the city the ability to notify residents of emergencies within minutes. The automated telephone system can deliver information to every home and business in the city, and can be directed to specific areas or specific lists of people. It was developed in Florida by Emergency Communications Network to notify residents about evacuation instructions and water safety issues in hurricane situations. The system has the potential to save lives, assist law enforcement and provide additional services to large groups of the public. Although its primary purpose is communication in disaster situations, the system can also be used to find lost children or elderly family members who have wandered off, safely evacuate an area during a hostage situation and provide information on how to register to vote. California Highway Patrol The California Highway Patrol has primary responsibility for law enforcement on Valley highways. Officers also keep watch over school bus safety, motorcycle training and semi-trailer truck weights and inspections. There are CHP offices in the area: the Lancaster station at 2041 W. Ave. I, Lancaster (661/948-8541) responsible from Kern County line south to Acton and the Mojave office at 1365 Highway 58 (661/824-2408) responsible for the East Kern area. There are 19 Los Angeles County fire stations in the Antelope Valley south of Avenue A, and other fire stations in Rosamond, Mojave, California City and Boron in Eastern Kern County. Because of effective planning and development, every residential area and shopping area in the AV is close to a fire station.
Los Angeles County Fire Department stations are located throughout the Antelope Valley – within close proximity to every home and business. This world-class firefighting department contracts its services to 58 cities. It boasts 165 stations countywide and employs some 3,800 uniformed and support personnel. At last count, the department had 79 paramedic units, 239 engines, eight helicopters, two fireboats and numerous other pieces of specialized apparatus. The department is credited with the creation of the nation’s second Fire Fighter Paramedic Program and the nation’s first 911 Emergency Calling System. Throughout its history, the department has emerged as a leader in fire service on local, regional and national levels, growing to become the nation’s second-largest fire protection agency. The department responds to more than 234,000 emergency calls annually. Additionally, the department has Lifeguard, Forestry and Health Hazardous Materials divisions that provide services to throughout its 2,278-square-mile area of responsibility. The California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (known as CAL FIRE) responds to fires in forest areas, and can call in borate helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to combat fires locally if they are needed. The department is dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of more than 31 million acres of California’s privately-owned wildlands. In addition, the department provides varied emergency services in 36 of the state’s 58 counties via contracts with local governments. The department’s firefighters, fire engines and aircraft respond to an average 5,600 wildland fires that burn more than 172,000 acres annually. If local fire stations need help, additional firefighting equipment can be called in Ventura County and other outlying areas. CAL FIRE Main Reception 916/653-5123 Planning for an earthquake is always a smart move in quake-prone Southern California. Doing so will help you and your family cope with and survive such an emergency. Before the Earthquake Strikes Pick “safe places” in each room of your home – A safe place could be under a sturdy table or desk or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases, or tall furniture that could fall on you. The shorter the distance to move to safety, the less likely you will be injured. Injury statistics show that people moving as little as 10 feet during an earthquake’s shaking are most likely to be injured. Also pick safe places, in your office, school and other buildings you are frequently in. Practice drop, cover, and hold-on in each safe place – Drop under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to one leg of the table or desk. Protect your eyes by keeping your head down. Practice these actions so that they become an automatic response. When an earthquake or other disaster occurs, many people hesitate, trying to remember what they are supposed to do. Responding quickly and automatically may help protect you from injury. Practice drop, cover, and hold-on at least twice a year – Frequent practice will help reinforce safe behavior. Wait in your safe place until the shaking stops, then check to see if you are hurt – You will be better able to help others if you take care of yourself first, then check the people around you. Move carefully and watch out for things that have fallen or broken, creating hazards. Be ready for additional aftershocks. Be on the lookout for fires – Fire is the most common earthquake-related hazard, due to broken gas lines, damaged electrical lines or appliances, and previously contained fires or sparks being released. If you must leave a building after the shaking stops, use the stairs, not the elevator – Earthquakes can cause fire alarms and fire sprinklers to go off. You will not be certain whether there is a real threat of fire. As a precaution, use the stairs. If you’re outside in an earthquake, stay outside – Move away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines. Crouch down and cover your head. Many injuries occur within 10 feet of the entrance to buildings. Bricks, roofing, and other materials can fall from buildings, injuring persons nearby. Trees, streetlights, and power lines may also fall, causing damage or injury. Inform guests, babysitters and caregivers of your plan – Everyone in your home should know what to do if an earthquake occurs. Assure yourself that others will respond properly even if you are not at home during the earthquake. Get training – Take a first-aid class from your local Red Cross chapter. Get training on how to use a fire extinguisher from your local fire department. Keep your training current. Training will help you to keep calm and know what to do when an earthquake occurs. Discuss earthquakes with your family – Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing earthquakes ahead of time helps reduce fear and anxiety and lets everyone know how to respond. Talk with your insurance agent – Different areas have different requirements for earthquake protection. Study locations of active faults, and, if you are at risk, consider purchasing earthquake insurance. |
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LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
City Government
City of Palmdale
City Council Members
Fire Station 131 at Avenue S and 30th Street East opened its doors late in 1999, and Fire Station 33 at Kettering and Date streets replaced the oldest station in downtown Lancaster. It also serves as the headquarters for Battalion 11. The headquarters for Battalion 17 is located at Station 24 in Palmdale.
Los Angeles County Fire Department stations are located throughout the Antelope Valley – within close proximity to every home and business. This world-class firefighting department contracts its services to 57 cities. It boasts 163 engine companies, 31 truck companies, 79 paramedic units and numerous other pieces of specialized apparatus. The department is credited with the creation of the nation’s second Fire Fighter Paramedic Program and the nation’s first 911 Emergency Calling System. Throughout its history, the department has emerged as a leader in fire service on local, regional and national levels, growing to become the nation’s second-largest fire protection agency. Operating nine divisions, 20 battalions, 157 fire stations and 11 fire-suppression camps, the department answers responds to more than 234,000 emergency calls annually. Additionally, the department has Lifeguard, Forestry and Health Hazardous Materials divisions that provide services to the more than 3.5 million people who reside in the 1.1 million housing units located throughout its 2,278-square-mile area of responsibility.