Supervisors Back Plan to Hike Gas Tax 8 Cents

Los Angeles County supervisors threw their support Thursday behind a state legislative proposal to raise the gasoline tax as a way to pay for maintaining and expanding roads, streets and highways.

With Republican and Democratic legislative leaders debating whether to place a suggested gasoline tax increase on the Nov. 8 ballot, the supervisors made it clear that they would back the measure to raise money for highway and road projects but not mass transit.

The Legislature is considering a proposal to raise the gasoline tax 8-cents a gallon--4 cents at the outset followed by a 1-cent hike each of the next four years. Motorists now pay a 9-cent federal tax, a 9-cent state tax and a 6 1/2% sales tax on a gallon of gas.

Supporters of the plan contend that the proposed state constitutional amendment establishing the new “user fee” for motorists could raise more than $1 billion a year for local and state highway and transit projects.

Conservative Member

The supervisors’ support for the proposed tax, in the form of a resolution Thursday, was considered particularly significant because it comes from the largest motor vehicle county in the state and was introduced by conservative board member Pete Schabarum.

“I’m pleased to see that one of my conservative, Republican colleagues is recognizing that we need a tax increase for roads,” Supervisor Ed Edelman said.

Schabarum, however, brushed aside the remark and said that “timing was of the essence” in supporting the plan because the Legislature is negotiating the gasoline tax package and the deadline is nearing for the proposal to be placed on the November ballot.

The Legislature has until the end of the month, a deadline extended by Secretary of State March Fong Eu, to place the proposal on the ballot.

The constitutional amendment would require two-thirds approval in both the Assembly and Senate and would go to the voters without the signature of Gov. George Deukmejian, who favors financing road and highway improvements with bonds instead of tax increases. Another bill would be needed to speed the measure onto the November ballot. Deukmejian aides said he may allow that bill to become law without his signature.

Question Posed

Schabarum said Thursday that he has pushed such a gas tax plan with the governor over the last year-and-a-half, prompting some of his colleagues to ask if Schabarum had reason to believe that the governor may have changed his mind and now supported a tax increase.

“The fact is that this would be a constitutional amendment and his support is not necessary or relevant,” Schabarum answered.

“It would be nice to have him support it,” Edelman said.

“Well, I can’t speak for the governor,” Schabarum responded.

“Just testing the waters?” Edelman asked.

“What else is new?” Schabarum said.

In backing the gas tax increase on a 3-0 vote, the supervisors said it should be contingent upon a provision that would split the additional money between state and local agencies in the same manner as the current 9-cent state gasoline tax.

Two other conservative board members, Supervisors Mike Antonovich and Deane Dana, were absent.