By Susan Motander
Last week, the Monrovia City Council voted to send Supervisor Mike Antonovich a “letter of concern” regarding the proposed LA County Park Tax that the supervisors are considering placing on November’s ballot for voter approval.
The board of supervisors is scheduled to discuss the tax measure, which would impose at least a 3-cent-per-square-foot parcel tax, assessed against the useable structures on each parcel in LA County (not including parking structures).
These funds would be used for parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces. According to the staff report submitted to the council for its consideration, there is also “some discussion regarding a possible 5-cent-per-square-foot parcel tax.”
As reported here two weeks ago, City Manager Oliver Chi first noted the discrepancy between what Monrovia tax payers would be assessed, versus what they were certain to receive in return.
According to Chi’s report, Monrovia’s tax payers would be paying approximately $763,997 per year as a result of the new tax, but would only be guaranteed $243,185, as the measure is currently written.
Chi’s report also bluntly stated, “From our perspective as staff for Monrovia, it seems incongruent and unfair that our residents should have to pay for park space in Los Angeles and on the west side, especially when considering the fact that those areas are park deficient because of deliberate land use and development decisions that were made by Los Angeles/west side communities.”
The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments also voted to express their concerns about the fairness of the proposed measure – they, too, sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors.
