Molina Halts Billing Over Library Tax : County: Supervisor orders printing canceled when she learns documents would include a charge to property owners that has not received final approval.

Supervisor Gloria Molina on Monday halted the county’s massive property tax mailing, saying bureaucrats were attempting to sneak through a new library tax that had only been tentatively approved.

Just minutes before workers in the treasurer/tax collector’s office were to begin the annual printing and mailing of 2.5 million tax notices, Molina demanded that the process be stopped and the $16-million library tax assessment be stricken from the bills.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Molina said. “This was a direct violation of the board’s intent.”

Last month, with Molina providing the critical swing vote, the Board of Supervisors approved a new property assessment that would raise funds for the strapped county library system.

But in voting for the tax, Molina also requested that the matter be brought back for reconsideration in early October--before tax bills were mailed but after the county’s financial books were closed so it could be determined if surplus funds were available to help the libraries. Molina said she would prefer to use any surplus rather than impose a new tax.

Now, with early reports of a county surplus that could total tens of millions of dollars, Molina said she will probably vote to kill the library tax. “I can’t support (the tax) now, not after the way I have been misled,” the supervisor said.

Molina said she personally interceded with tax collectors after she found that senior county officials with the authority to halt the mailing were on the golf course.

Treasurer/Tax Collector Larry Montheilh, County Counsel DeWitt Clinton and Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed were attending the annual Consular Corps golf tournament at the Wilshire Country Club. Molina finally had a caddy from the club’s pro shop track the officials down on the fairway and bring them to the telephone.

All three were unavailable for comment.

Molina said she intends to closely question them about the timing of the mailing of the tax bills at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.

“I’m going to line them up like the Three Stooges and slap them around a little,” Molina said. “It’s insubordination,” she said of their plan to send out the tax notices.

The annual property tax bill is traditionally mailed in October, usually at least two weeks before the Nov. 1 due date.

Molina said that if for some reason she is unable to defeat the tax upon the vote for reconsideration, she may join a lawsuit brought by a pair of watchdog groups to overturn the library tax.

The tax would affect property owners in unincorporated county areas and 16 cities that chose to join the assessment district.