Los Angeles Mayor Backs Retrofit Tax Measure for Quake Upgrades

Saying a big earthquake is inevitable, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is supporting a state measure that would offer incentives for people to make their buildings safer during a temblor.

City News Service says Garcetti has backed a measure that would offer a 30 percent tax credit on seismic improvements over five years.

AB428, by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, would cover retrofitting for buildings that local governments believe are at risk of collapsing during a quake. It’s estimated that Los Angeles has at least 1,500 such structures.

Garcetti has previously proposed city measures to require strengthening unreinforced wood and concrete buildings that could collapse in a big temblor.

One such collapse killed 16 people during the 1994 Northridge quake.