Tax proposed to help financially strapped school district

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The board of education will consider placing a parcel tax on a special ballot for voters in May.

By Jonathan Friedman / Special to The Malibu Times

Malibu residents in May could have their second school district tax election in less than two years. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education will consider a proposal this Thursday to place a parcel tax on a special ballot. The money generated would be used to help the financially strained school district, which is operating on a six-figure deficit.

A committee that has held a series of meetings since August has recommended a tax of up to $225 per parcel. The committee recommends a five-year life span for the parcel tax and the election should take place on May 25 by traditional mail. The committee also recommended an exemption for senior citizens.

A $225 tax would generate an estimated $7 million per year.

“It’s going to be a tough campaign,” parcel tax committee head Neil Carrey said on Tuesday. “But it is doable. If we felt there was very little chance any tax would pass, we wouldn’t have recommended an election.”

The committee determined the maximum amount the community would be willing to support based on surveys. Carrey said the amount of people who would favor a $225 tax is lower than the two-thirds of voters needed for passage. But he said surveys often determine support is lower than that which is needed. And a campaign is where advocates attempt to persuade enough people to gain the victory.

Carrey said it was determined a mail-in election in May would be better than placing a tax measure on the June Primary Election ballot so it would be the lone focus for voters.

“The need is great for the district,” Carrey said. “The importance is there. It’s a compelling story of why people should vote for it. So it’s better to have the election in May rather than during the primary, when it’s much more difficult to get the message across.”

District voters approved a parcel tax in 2008 for $346 per parcel. That tax has no expiration. Although it passed, there was sizable opposition, including from Malibu where many residents felt disenfranchised by a school district based in Santa Monica that made them feel second-tier. One of the opponents included City Councilmember Andy Stern.

“If the school district can prove they have eliminated their wasteful spending, I would be inclined to support [a tax this year],” Stern said on Tuesday. “I’m going to wait and see.”

Malibu resident Wade Major, who opposed the 2008 tax, said he also is against one this time around.

“I think the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has demonstrated itself to be fiscally irresponsible beyond any conceivable remedy,” Major said. “Just because we are in a financial crisis nationally and statewide doesn’t mean we should be giving them carte blanche once again to play with a parcel tax.”

Major said the residents of Malibu should focus on creating a separate school district rather than giving more financial support to this district. Secession has gained popularity several times throughout the years, and gained more interest in 2008 in the wake of a dispute between parents of the two cities over school construction funding. But during the movement soon after, advocates were unable to collect enough signatures for an initiative to get through the first phase of the process.

The SMMUSD is operating on a $10 million deficit for the current school year. That amount is expected to increase during at least the next two years under the district’s current budget plan. Approximately $8.7 million in budget cuts have been proposed.

“Not getting this [parcel tax] money would have a very negative impact on our school district,” said Carrey, who noted cuts would mean teacher layoffs, increased class sizes and possible cuts to district programs.

Last month, the district’s Financial Oversight Committee, or FOC, presented potential revenue boosters to the board, including targeted fundraising, licensing the use of district names for merchandise, and placing ads on campuses and buses as well as on the district’s Web site. But these measures would only help in the long term and even require small upfront costs.

But Major said he is not convinced that even a parcel tax would help this district.

“You’re looking at a school district that has not been able to get its financial house in order for one solitary year in at least a decade,” Major said. “What makes us think that giving them more money now is going to change that?”