New Year May Echo the Thunder of the Old : CITY HALL

In Los Angeles City Hall, Valley representatives in 1995 will be wrestling to adopt a new water rate formula, squabbling over budget cuts to pay for more police and continuing to search for funds to rebuild quake-damaged neighborhoods.

But most of the attention in 1995 may be on what is expected to be an expensive, hard-fought race to fill the council seat left vacant in December, when Zev Yaroslavsky moved to the Board of Supervisors after 19 years as a city councilman.

Nearly a dozen candidates have entered the race to represent a district that includes Sherman Oaks and Brentwood. The high name recognition of two candidates--Yaroslavsky’s wife, Barbara, and former school board member Roberta Weintraub--is expected to attract hefty campaign contributions.

Will voters put another Yaroslavsky in office? Will Weintraub’s years of campaign experience for the school board pay off? The April primary may answer such questions.

Within the marble walls of City Hall, Valley representatives face a battle with council members from South-Central and West Los Angeles over a proposed water rate structure that would provide relief to residents who live in hot climates, have big households or own large lots--three categories that would benefit Valley residents.

The annual struggle to balance the city’s perpetually troubled budget will open in the spring, when Mayor Richard Riordan releases his finance package for the council’s approval. Already, the city faces a projected $200-million deficit next year and still hopes to find the money to expand the LAPD by 2,855 over the next five years. One new money-generating idea includes opening private concession stands at city parks, most of which are in the Valley.

Valley council members will continue to deal with the repercussions of the Northridge quake, the nation’s most expensive disaster.

The council has already adopted a large number of building ordinances to help homes and business withstand future quakes. But other laws are still under study, including one to require repairs to steel-framed office buildings and to strengthen codes to reinforce wood-framed houses.

City officials say they intend to monitor repair progress on hundreds of quake-ravaged homes and businesses closely to ensure they do not become a blight in the neighborhood.

“The big issue will be the quake recovery,” said Francine Oschin, deputy to Councilman Hal Bernson, whose northwest Valley district was hit the hardest. “One year later we are still crumbling.”