L.A. transit woes ignite debate in mayor’s race - Monday, October 19, 2026

Oct 19, 2026

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L.A. transit and utility costs fuel public debate as election campaigns spotlight contentious issues. Angelenos express frustration over higher Los Angeles Department of Water and Power bills, blaming heavy air-conditioning use and rate-tier structure while contrasting DWP’s increases with other utilities. Separately, the article examines how long-delayed LAX’s Skylink people mover train and its overruns have become a flashpoint in the mayoral race between Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, with each side citing responsibility, costs, and deadlines.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages44

Reading Time1 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

L.A. transit and utility controversies in the mayoral race

Higher DWP bills spark investigation calls

Skylink train delays become campaign flashpoint

$3.66 DESIGNATED AREAS HIGHER © 2026 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2026 [latimes.com](latimes.com) L.A. transit woes ignite debate in mayor’s race Matthieu Rondel AFP/Getty Images MORE PROTESTS ROIL FRANCE Police officers gather on Faubourg du Temple street as clashes erupted at Place de la Republique in Paris on Sunday. About 2,400 people were arrested as weekend rallies turned to rioting and looting. WORLD, A2 A FUROR OVER‘INSANE’DWP BILLS Angelenos are hit by sticker shock. Utility blames higher A/Cuse, not rate increases. By Blanca Begert Social media and online forums are aflame over higher than usual Los Angeles Department of Water and Power bills, with some customers noting recent charges hundreds of dollars over what they paid in previous billing cyclesand years. Residents are posting bills they call “outrageous,”“insane” and “extremely crazy” as charges for summer use continue to hit mailboxes. Canter’s Deli made headlines when its owners received a $35,700 bill, up almost $11,000 from four months earlier. Recent increases in sewer and trash fees, plus steadily rising water ratesand higher summer water use are partly to blame. But Angelenos’ ire has been especially directed at electricity bills as the extra A/C needed during triple-digit heat waves landed people in the utility’s higher-cost tiers, which also have been rising. More than 24,000 people have signed a petition calling for the city to investigate the bills and adjust the tiers. It was started by a San Fernando Valley man who received a $2,115 electric bill for his 2,500-square-foot home that he said he kept at 74 degrees between the months of August and September. Electric bill sticker shock is common for customers of investor-owned utilities, but less so for municipally owned utilities such asDWP. Denise Grab, clean-energy project director at UCLA’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said that over the last three years, Southern California Edison’s rate for the typical household using 500 kWh per month has risen about 4%while DWP’s has gone up 45%. But Edison still charges about 20%morethanDWP. “They’re closer than they were last year,” when she published a report comparing the two utilities, Grab said. She also expects Edison rates to rise further when wildfire liability from the Eaton fire hits. DWP says its recent high bills are driven by spiking power use during the recordbreaking summer heat, especially for air conditioning, not by rate increases. Most of its residential customers are in a three-tier [See Electricity, A8] Republican sees a path back to power in state By Dakota Smith ROSEVILLE, Calif. —San Diego County Republican Carl DeMaio had a warning for conservativesata get-out-the-vote rally this month in Placer County. “You are doomed,”DeMaio said, crooning the phrase like a foghorn. The audience chuckled. “Doomed” is DeMaio’s description for races that lack a conservative candidate. Skip voting in those, he told the crowd, briskly walking them through the Nov. 3 ballot. Microphone in hand, the freshman state legislator paced the floor, threw up his hands and scowled ashe de- clared California a “communist state,” the progressive Bay Area “the gates of hell”and Hillary Clinton “the wicked witch.” Urging volunteers to door-knock at Republican households, he instructed them to ignore Democratic homes. “I don’t need to remind them there’s an election going on,” he said. DeMaio, 52, is emerging asa prominent voice for California Republicans, promisinga path back to power and delighting audiences with his sharp takedowns of Democrats. His vehicle this election is Proposition 39— he is co-author of the ballot measure—which would require Californiansto provide ID when voting, an initiative backed by millions of dollars from conservatives and condemned by the state’s Democratic leadersandvoting rights experts. On his YouTube channel, he regularly skewers Gov. Gavin Newsom, the S

FAQs

What issue is driving Angelenos’ anger about their utility bills?

Customers report sticker shock tied to summer air-conditioning electricity charges and higher-cost rate tiers, alongside other rising sewer, trash, and water-related fees.

How does the article compare DWP and another major utility’s rate changes?

It cites that DWP’s typical residential rate for the last three years rose much faster than Southern California Edison’s, while noting Edison still charges more overall.

Why has the LAX Skylink people mover project become central to the mayoral campaign?

The train is years behind schedule and over budget, and the dispute over cost overruns, technical problems, and responsibility between the contractor and city airport officials has fueled accusations between Bass and Raman.

Oct 19, 2026

Upload by Adam