Securing land for parks is a serious undertaking for any county government.
In the most populous county in the United States, doing so requires a substantial amount of financial backing and commitment of taxpayer dollars – but when that funding already exists, it can’t be overdrawn.
This board endorses a “No” vote on Measure P. While the $23 per parcel tax proposed by Measure P would provide Los Angeles County with a significant financial base to acquire and develop parklands, provide funds for gang prevention and job training programs among other goals, the existence of two park taxes in Los Angeles County with similar goals raise questions about the immediate need of these funds.
In 1992, county voters approved Proposition A, which provides $54 million annually to fund recreational areas and community programming. This proposition also allowed the county to purchase open space for parks and refurbishment of local historical landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl. This was followed up by a 1996 parks tax assessment that collected $28 million per year to cover maintenance and acquisition costs for county parks.
Proposition A runs out on June 30, 2015, but the 1996 park tax assessment will continue to pool money until June 30, 2019, which begs the question of whether Proposition P will be redundant, unnecessary tax until 2019. If the funds exist at the county level and will continue to draw in funding, the county should wait until the next election for a more specifically allocated tax.
Measure P was not placed on the 2014 ballot by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors until August, giving the voting community little time to sink its teeth into the actual workings of the tax prior to November’s voting period. A lack of actual itemization – the tax’s distribution is listed by percentages in the text of the proposition – shows there is no extensive plan on the county’s part. Two additional years to plan would help the county create a better, more complete allocation the tax.
This board also questions the flat-rate taxation policy listed in Measure P. Instead of following Proposition A’s lead and charging county residents based mostly on property size, each parcel would be charged $23 annually. We believe this pulls a significant amount of the financial burden from the county’s wealthy property owners and places it on property owners who might have the same or higher value for these parks and programs, but to whom $23 means significantly more.
This fee structure hasn’t been given a clear explanation. Neither has the distribution of taxpayer dollars. Both factors should not inspire confidence among voters in Los Angeles County.