Lefty LA council votes to stick taxpayers with bill to keep lights on as copper wire thieves run rampant

The Democrat-dominated Los Angeles City Council approved a measure Tuesday that would make local taxpayers pay more to keep the city’s lights running amid a rash of copper wire thefts.

Councilmembers argued that the current funding for routine streetlight maintenance isn’t enough, and that more money is needed to cover permanent fixes as copper wire thieves run rampant.

The council approved the fee hike, which is expected to generate about $125 million for streetlight repairs, via a 13–1 vote. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez cast the lone dissenting vote, citing affordability concerns for Angelenos.

“At a time when we talk about the rent being too damn high, for affordability, I just want to remind everybody this also affects affordability in the city at a very difficult time when families and businesses are struggling,” Rodriguez said, according to the Westside Current.

She said she could also not vote for the fee increase without an update to the streetlight maintenance plan, which has been the same since 2022 despite rapid recent increases in copper wire theft.

“I believe taxpayers deserve better in respect for all the various tax measures that they’re going to be asked to consider in the next several months,” she added.

The increase in copper wire theft stems from a 42% jump in value per pound for the metal since March 2023. Copper now sells for $5.50 a pound compared to around $4.08 three years ago.

Copper thieves in Los Angeles have been especially bold — even stripping Little League fields of the wire within their stadium lighting system.

Tearing copper out of streetlights decommissions them and leaves neighborhoods in the dark. The lack of wiring forces residents to wait for repair crews before sidewalks can be illuminated again.

Advocates for the fee increase argue the extra funds are needed to combat thieves.

“Today, one in 10 street lights in the city of L.A. will sit dark,” Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said, according to the Westside Current. “For 30 years, the Bureau of Street Lighting has been operating on a frozen budget while thieves strip our lights for parts.”

“We cannot keep throwing money at temporary fixes, putting copper back into the ground, only to watch it get stolen again,” Hernandez added.

The fees wouldn’t go into effect for months as the city has to mail notices to affected property owners. A June 2 council hearing has been set for the next step in the process.

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