Beverly Hills : 3rd Bid for Tax Is Delayed

The Beverly Hills School Board voted Tuesday to postpone putting a third parcel tax before voters until June, saying they are unwilling to rush the measure onto a March ballot so soon after a volatile campaign.

The vote was 4 to 0, with school board President Frank Fenton absent.

Passage of parcel taxes requires the approval of two-thirds of the voters. To date, two parcel tax proposals by the Beverly Hills Unified School District have failed--the last one by four votes--and board members said they want to avoid a repeat.

“It’s just bad planning,” said board member Frank Stern, who said the last failed parcel tax proposal caused a schism in the community. “It is too soon after a very tough defeat.”

Board member Peggy Goldwyn said a delay will help cool controversy surrounding a parcel tax and increase its chances of passage.

With the failure of the June tax, Beverly Hills laid off 41 teachers and dozens of other employees and cut a number of classes. Even with the cuts, if the district maintains current staffing and programs, it will face a deficit of $2.2 million over the next five years. If the cuts are restored, the deficit would balloon to $21.9 million over the next five years.

“The question is not if we should pass a parcel tax to improve quality education,” Goldwyn said. “The question is when that election should be held.”

Betty Wilson, the only board member to voice reservations about delaying a parcel-tax vote, said she feared that community enthusiasm might dim with a delay.

Wilson said she decided to support the postponement because if the initiative is passed in June, any revenue that is generated would be available for the 1991-92 school year.

The school board must act by Feb. 1 to get the measure on the June, 1991, ballot.