Bad Year for a Tax Increase

The Las Virgenes Unified School District is proposing a parcel tax for the November ballot in response to their recent budget cuts. They say the tax will enable the district to reverse all of its cuts, plus they promise to lower class sizes. (We’ve heard this before).

They say the tax money won’t be used for teachers’ salaries (they just received a 6% raise and generous medical benefits) but in order to lower class sizes, more teachers will need to be hired, therefore, some of that money will go to salaries.

This is not a good year to try to get voter approval for higher taxes because we are already being hit from all sides for more money.

At the state level, there are several tax bills working their way through the Legislature. The “snack food tax” will begin taxing all small food items perceived as non-nutritional snack items, such as candy, popcorn, cookies, etc. Another state Senate bill hikes motor vehicle license fees by changing the annual depreciation fee so that vehicle owners will pay more in fees for a longer period of time. And finally, the Legislature wants to increase sales taxes.

At the county level, there is a fire assessment fee proposal to be paid annually via property tax bills to prevent cuts in the fire service budget. On March 1, residents of L.A. County’s unincorporated areas, which includes most of the Las Virgenes School District, began paying a 5% utility users tax, reflected on their telephone, electric, and water bills.

Las Virgenes Water District passed a 13% rate hike last year. Our continued conservation will ultimately produce less revenue for the water district and that will necessitate future rate increases.

Lastly, our school district won its lawsuit over bus fees and is now free to continue charging “families that can afford it” for student transportation. A round trip will cost $100 more next year, $510 per student. That’s no problem, according to the district, because this is an “affluent” area.

Stay tuned. These are just a few taxes or fees that I have read about in recent weeks. There will be more proposed at all levels of government. By November, voters are going to really feel the pinch from taxes and fees which they had no say in approving.

When offered the opportunity for approval on the November ballot, I don’t believe they are going to vote for a tax increase, no matter how small and no matter what for.

DIANE VENABLE

Agoura Hills