Santa Clarita City Council’s “new math”: $19<$0

In addition to the current controversy, regarding “The Letter”, is the new library tax that is being sold as a tax reduction.  The topic is slated to be on the agenda at the next city council meeting.  Hopefully, the residents expected to pay the tax will receive more clarity on the issue at that meeting.  In the meantime, here’s what we know:

• In 1997, the residents of Santa Clarita passed a ballot measure to tax each parcel of land $28 per parcel to support the Los Angeles County Library system.  The parcel owners have the paid the tax since that time.
• At the July 13, 2010 City Council meeting, speaking on behalf of the library, Council-member Ender requested the City consider its withdrawal from the County Library system.  
• In August of 2010, the city council assured the tax payers that when they voted to leave the county library system and award the local contract to LSSI that the tax money collected for the county system would be transferable to the city.  “Upon withdrawal, the City is entitled to receive all property tax revenues allocated to the County Library from within the City of Santa Clarita, according to the City Attorney.” is a direct quote in the cities official agenda report.
• On August 24, Council voted 4-1 to secede from the County Library, and award a contract with LSSI to operate the three Santa Clarita libraries in Valencia, Canyon Country and Newhall.  Council-member Kellar was the only member to vote no.
• By November of 2010, it was clear that the county tax would not be transferable as stated by the city council.   “You can’t apply the county tax (to the city), because it’s not what the voters voted on,” Los Angeles County deputy counsel Jill Jones.  The county went on to state that the tax would be uncollectible by the county and thus not available to “transfer” to the city. 
• ****Notice, when a tax is not collectable the effective tax is $0 per parcel.********
• At this point, the city of Santa Clarita began polling residents of Santa Clarita on the possibility of a replacement tax.
• On January 11, 2011 Santa Clarita Mayor McLean asked to agendize a special ballot measure to “lower” the library tax to $19 per parcel.
• ****Note, one can not “lower” a tax of $0 unless a check is written to all the parcel owners.  Also note, $19 > $0.
• All council members consented to having the ballot measure on the agenda for the next city council meeting.

For further community review of the issue, here’s a roundup of the local commentary.

Dave Bossart at The West Ranch Beacon     I Heart SCV     The Signal

And from “NotAFerryFan”: