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Measure K, It’s a Question of Who Gets the Money
Monrovia Weekly Oct 31, 2019
Mayor Tom Adams. - Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
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By Susan Motander
NextTuesday Monrovia voters will face the question of Measure K, an increase inMonrovia’s sales tax to the maximum allowed by state law. The realquestion is whom Monrovia residents want to have control over the funds raisedby such a rise in the sales tax.
Currentlythe sales tax is 9.5% of which the state receives 7.25% and the county andregional agencies gets 2.25%. The funds go into the state’s general fundand in the case of the county it is normally reserved for special projects suchas Metro, homelessness and parks. Los Angeles County is already looking atvarious measures to raise the sales tax countywide but they have not done soyet.
MeasureK is a proactive move to preempt the county from receiving these funds andkeeps the money raised in Monrovia for projects supported by Monrovians. Thisis a concern as Monrovia, on average, receives only 10% of the monies raised bythe county from bond measures. Some measures return even less toMonrovia. For example, Measure H, passed in 2017, has cost Monrovians $4.5million but the city received only $30,000 back to help our local homelesspopulation.
Accordingto City Manager Dylan Feik, the county is already looking at measures toincrease sales tax. Cities that have already reached the maximum are still ableto receive benefits from countywide bond measures without paying into the fund.
PerhapsMayor Tom Adams explained it best when he wrote the following:
“I have alwaysconsidered myself to be a very conservative person, especially in dealing withother 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 approvesthis, Monrovia will keep about $4,500,000 a year in new revenue. If Monroviafails to pass this and it is passed on a county level Monrovia will receiveabout $450,000 a year.
“The voters of LosAngeles County ultimately approve every new tax that comes their way, do wetrust Monrovia to do a better job for Monrovia or do we trust the county to doa better job for Monrovia?
“To me it is simple.”
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