By Susan Motander
Next Tuesday Monrovia voters will face the question of Measure K, an increase in Monrovia’s sales tax to the maximum allowed by state law. The real question is whom Monrovia residents want to have control over the funds raised by such a rise in the sales tax.
Currently the sales tax is 9.5% of which the state receives 7.25% and the county and regional agencies gets 2.25%. The funds go into the state’s general fund and in the case of the county it is normally reserved for special projects such as Metro, homelessness and parks. Los Angeles County is already looking at various measures to raise the sales tax countywide but they have not done so yet.
Measure K is a proactive move to preempt the county from receiving these funds and keeps the money raised in Monrovia for projects supported by Monrovians. This is a concern as Monrovia, on average, receives only 10% of the monies raised by the county from bond measures. Some measures return even less to Monrovia. For example, Measure H, passed in 2017, has cost Monrovians $4.5 million but the city received only $30,000 back to help our local homeless population.
According to City Manager Dylan Feik, the county is already looking at measures to increase sales tax. Cities that have already reached the maximum are still able to receive benefits from countywide bond measures without paying into the fund.
Perhaps Mayor Tom Adams explained it best when he wrote the following:
“I have always considered myself to be a very conservative person, especially in dealing with other people’s money. I don’t really see Measure K as so much of a tax measure, we all know the tax rate will go up; the question is who will keep the funds.
“If Monrovia approves this, Monrovia will keep about $4,500,000 a year in new revenue. If Monrovia fails to pass this and it is passed on a county level Monrovia will receive about $450,000 a year.
“The voters of Los Angeles County ultimately approve every new tax that comes their way, do we trust Monrovia to do a better job for Monrovia or do we trust the county to do a better job for Monrovia?
“To me it is simple.”
