STATE : Split Roll Initiative Appears Out

The split roll initiative that would have given tax breaks to homeowners while more than doubling business property taxes has apparently failed to qualify for the June, 1990, ballot, officials said today.

A spokeswoman for Secretary of State March Fong Eu said a random sampling of petitions in support of the initiative indicates that the measure probably will not qualify for the ballot. Official results will not be available until next week, she said.

Proponents said the initiative--backed by the group Voter Revolt and fought by a business, labor and local government coalition--would have given homeowners a $5-billion tax break, increasing their property tax exemption to save them $500 a year apiece, except for owners of homes valued above $1 million. Business property tax rates would have been raised 120%, from 1% of assessed value to 2.2%, or $8 billion a year.