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 bandits run rampant pillaging lights of the valuable wiring. City officials estimating it costs more than $20 million a year in repair expenses alone.
The council approved the fee hike, which is expected to generate about $125 million for streetlight repairs, with a 13–1 vote. Dem Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez cast the lone dissenting vote, citing affordability concerns for Angelenos.
Downtown LA’s 6th Street Bridge has had its copper cabling stripped by criminals looking to sell the precious metal. Toby Canham for NY Post
The lack of copper wiring forces residents to wait for repair crews before sidewalks can be illuminated again. Getty Images“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.
The proposed fee, which would be paid by LA residents with streetlights on their blocks, would average out to about $30 per household. But those costs can vary sharply by property type.
A single-family home on a roughly quarter-acre lot is expected to pay about $150 a year under the plan — while larger properties face significantly higher bills, according to a report from the Bureau of Street Lighting.
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.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez cast the lone dissenting vote, citing affordability concerns for Angelenos. Ringo Chiu for CA PostThe 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. Each incident adds up quickly, with fixes costing as much as $2,000 per streetlight pole, forcing the city to repeatedly replace stolen wiring, restore power, and respond to outages.
Tearing copper out of streetlights decommissions them and leaves entire 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.
Tearing copper out of streetlights and constructions decommissions them and leaves neighborhoods in the dark. Toby Canham for NY Post“Today, one in 10 streetlights in the city of LA will sit dark. For 30 years, the Bureau of Street Lighting has been operating on a frozen budget while thieves strip our lights for parts,” said Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez according to the Westside Current.
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“We cannot keep throwing money at temporary fixes, putting copper back into the ground, only to watch it get stolen again,” she 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 to discuss next step in the process.
