PAYING FOR THE PROPOSITIONS

California voters approved 15 of the 17 propositions on last week’s ballot and voters in the city of Los Angeles approved all four of their measures. Based on calculations done by The Times--using the cost of the measure and the number of taxpayers--passage of these measures will cost each state taxpayer at least $87 a year. City of Los Angeles taxpayers will pay an additional $30. Five measures that were passed but do not involve a cost to taxpayers, or if costs are unknown to the legislative analyst, are not listed below. CITY MEASURES Proposition G: $376-million Earthquake Safety Bond Allows the city to raise money to reinforce, repair and replace city-owned buildings, roads and bridges in need of earthquake safety improvements, adding about $28.50 to the average property tax bill each year for the next 20 years. Proposition H: $3.5-million Ethics / Pay Raise Measure The ethics-in-government measure that institutes public financing for political campaigns and bans outside jobs for elected officials, but also grants them pay raises, will cost each city taxpayer approximately $1.03 in fiscal year 1990-91. In the next fiscal year, when the cost of the package goes to $5 million, the cost per taxpayer would be $1.47. STATE MEASURES Proposition 107: Housing and Homeless Bond This $150-million bond will help house the homeless and other low-income people, annually costing each taxpayer about $.88 over the next 20 years. Proposition 108: Passenger Rail Bonds Provides $1 billion in mass transit funds for intercity rail, commuter rail service and urban rail transit. Total cost to taxpayers annually will be about $5.28 each over the next 20 years. Proposition 111: Gas Tax and Spending Limit Brings in $13 billion, over 10 years, from a 9-cent increase in the state gasoline tax and diesel fuel tax. A 5-cent hike will take effect Aug. 1, 1990, with an additional 1-cent-per-gallon increase on Jan. 1, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. The annual cost for each driver--using a state formula for average miles driven in a year--will average $60 over the next ten years. Proposition 112: Ethics Standards for State Officials This measure will impose new ethical standards on state officials and also give them a pay raise. If legislators’ salaries are tied to the $94,344 salaries of Superior Court judges, it would cost taxpayers approximately $.18 per year. Proposition 116: Rail Transportation Improvements This measure authorizes $2 billion in bonds for rail transportation that will cost each taxpayer approximately $10.55 per year for 20 years. Proposition 120: Prison Construction Bonds Provides for a $450-million bond issue to relieve prison overcrowding through new construction, costing taxpayers about $2.34 each per year for 20 years. Proposition 121: Higher Education Facilities Bonds This $450-million bond measure for the construction or improvements of facilities of higher education will cost each taxpayer about $2.34 a year for 20 years. Proposition 122: Quake Safety for Public Buildings This $300-million bond issue for the reconstruction, seismic retrofitting, repair, replacement and relocation of state and local government buildings that are unsafe primarily due to earthquake-related dangers will cost each taxpayer about $1.58 a year for 20 years. Proposition 123: School Facilities Bonds This $800-million bond issue will provide capital outlay for construction or improvement of public schools and will cost each taxpayer about $4.10 a year for 20 years. Statewide total $87.25 per year plus $30 a year in the city of Los Angeles. SOURCE: Franchise Tax Board and Legislative Analyst Taxpayer calculations include the annual payment--principle and interest--divided by 17 million, the number of taxpayers statewide and 3.4 million citywide Compiled by Times researcher Cecilia Rasmussen