Beverly Hills : Change in Tax Plan Sought

Parents and other residents Tuesday night suggested to the Beverly Hills school board ways to sell voters a proposed parcel tax to help shore up the schools.

The tax measure, which will be on the June 5 ballot, must be approved by two-thirds of the voters to take effect. The school board has drafted a tiered assessment system in which properties would be taxed $350 to $750 a year, depending on their size and use. The measure would raise about $4.5 million a year for the next five years.

Phillip Harris, speaking on behalf of Children First, a parents group, recommended that the varying tax rates have what he termed a “more equitable spread.” The group suggested, for instance, that single-family homes on parcels less than 9,999 square feet be taxed $300 a year, instead of the $350 proposed by the board. For single-family homes on larger parcels, it suggested rates of $600 and $800 instead of the $500 and $650 in the board’s version.

“We’ve discussed it with many senior citizens,” Harris said. “We think a little more spread would be more palatable.”

Children First’s plan would raise about $4.8 million a year, Harris said.

The group and individual parents also suggested changes in wording of the ballot question and the board’s official resolution calling for the tax.

Parent Dave Gordon warned the board of a silent opposition that helped defeat the district’s last parcel-tax attempt in 1987. When he walked door-to-door in support of that measure, he said, “motherhood, flags, the schools--everyone was in favor. But they didn’t vote that way.”

District officials said they will review the recommendations and adopt a final version today. “We want to make this as palatable as possible,” said Frank Fenton, board president.