Santa Monica Daily Press, July 15, 2010

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

Volume 9 Issue 211

Santa Monica Daily Press

LOOKING AHEAD SEE PAGE 11

We have you covered

THE BUSY BALLOTS ISSUE

Renter protections may reach ballot BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief

CITY HALL In addition to a proposed sales tax measure, Santa Monica voters may also be asked to amend the City Charter and grant more protections to renters. The City Council, with a 6-1 vote, ordered city staff to draft a proposed ballot initiative that would give tenants more time to respond to minor violations before they are served with a three-day notice of eviction. The measure would also protect seniors, the disabled and terminally ill tenants from owner-occupancy evictions. The Rent Control Board asked council to consider the added protections after hearing from several tenants who, because of their SEE RENTERS PAGE 9

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com

SHOP IT UP: Elisabeth Tsubota (left) purchases a high-powered microwave from sales representative Joe Levi at Carlson's TV and Appliances

Samohi at work during summer BY DENNIS LIN

store on Fifth Street on Wednesday afternoon. A proposed sales tax increase would make such large purchases a bit more expensive.

Sales tax increase goes to voters BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief

DOWNTOWN If you have plans to purchase an expensive 3-D television or a new hybrid vehicle, you might want to do it now or risk paying more next year. That’s because the City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to place on the November ballot a half-cent sales tax increase, with half of the proceeds most likely headed to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. The increase is expected to generate $12 million annually, money city officials said will help off-set future budget deficits that could lead to significant cuts in essential city services, such as police, fire, after school programs and community maintenance. The projected deficits are the result of the worst economic recession since the Great

Depression, with the state taking over $40 million from City Hall over the last six years, city officials said. If approved by a simple majority of Santa Monica voters, the increase would push the city’s transaction and use tax to 10.25 percent, one of the highest in the state. The tax would not apply to food, medication and other items exempt from the current sales tax. The measure does not include an expiration date. Not only will voters be asked to approve the tax, the council also placed on the ballot an advisory measure that would ask voters if they believe half of the estimated $12 million generated by the tax should be shared with the school district. Education advocates, which included members of the business community, overwhelmingly supported the council’s decision, expressing an even greater need for

funding following millions in cuts from the state and the failure of a local parcel tax, Measure A, which would have charged property owners $198 per parcel per year to generate $5.7 million annually for public schools. Property owners already pay $346 per year per parcel to help fund schools. Measure A, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass, failed in May mainly because of a lack of support in Malibu, which ironically would benefit from the potential increase in school funding the sales tax measure could provide without having to give anything in return. The tax would not apply to Malibu, which partners with Santa Monica to run the district. With more than 66 percent of Santa Monica voters coming in on the side of the schools, it is believed City Hall’s quest for

SAMOHI School has been out for nearly a month, but for Santa Monica’s boys’ basketball team, class is still in session. While their friends might be enjoying the warm weather or relaxing by the beach, the players have been spending much of their summer in the gym in preparation for the upcoming season. “It’s been a good summer, a very productive summer. I’m very proud of the effort the guys put in, day in, day out,” Head Coach James Hecht said. Hecht certainly had reason to be pleased after the team’s recent showing at the 24th annual Nike Fairfax Tournament. There, the Vikings overcame their youth and a deep field to take fourth place, beating Fairfax and Los Angeles Price before falling to Taft in the semifinals. Samohi graduated all five starters last month from a team that reached the California Interscholastic Federation

SEE TAX PAGE 8

SEE SAMOHI PAGE 9

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