With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Measure MM and Measure HH have received strong approval from voters. 68 percent of voters supported Measure MM and 76 percent backed Measure HH, according to the Los Angels County Registrar-Recorder web site. Since the measures received over two-thirds support, and barring any changes, they will now go into effect.

Measure MM and Measure HH monies will help fund the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) and the related Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), which maintain open space and parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Zone. The taxes do not affect everyone in Los Angeles — only residents in special zones.

The measures were mysteriously placed on the ballot by autocratic Joe Edmiston, who runs MRCA and SMMC. By law, a petition drive or a vote by a governing body is needed to put an initiative before voters. Somehow, Edimiston bypassed that.

Voters, however, overlooked that controversial maneuver.

HH will set a $24-per-year tax for the next 10 years that will be applied to properties within a large area east of the 405 Freeway, including the Hollywood Hills and the hillside homes west of Griffith Park.

MM will have homeowners west of the 405 and south of the 101 in Woodland Hills, Encino, Tarzana and Calabasas pay a $19-per-year tax for the next 10 years.

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.

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