Agoura Hills : Special Election Set on Controversial Tax

Agoura Hills officials have set a June 25 special election for a controversial utility tax.

The City Council implemented the tax in 1994, saying it was needed to close a $1-million budget gap. But the move sparked a recall movement led by Agoura Hills resident Barbara Murphy, who argued that the city did not need the extra revenue. The recall has ended up in the courts.

The California Supreme Court last year upheld a 1986 state ballot measure requiring voter approval for new general and special taxes. After the ruling, Murphy’s group began pressuring city officials to rescind the tax and put it before voters in November.

The anti-tax group tried to prevent the city from calling a special election, saying it would waste taxpayers’ money. The recall group says that city officials want a special election because they believe it would generate a low turnout made up mostly of council supporters.

But city officials say they can’t wait until November to know how much revenue will be available for the next fiscal year, which begins in July. Numerous street repair projects are on hold until the revenue issue is resolved, officials say, and waiting until November would cause more delays and higher repair costs in the long run.

The last day to register to vote is May 27.