Your taxes, their benefits?




Two stories have caught our eye recently, both having to do with the possibility that you might be paying higher school taxes and water rates in the not-too-distant future.

With budgets already slashed, the Las Virgenes Unified School District says it sees no alternative but to impose its third parcel tax in six years to pay for programs and services. Voters passed Measure E in 2004 and renewed the annual $98 tax in 2008. The proposed new tax is $114 per parcel, but no election date has been decided.

A survey of 500 residents showed 66 percent would support the new tax, which came as good news to the school district since a two-thirds majority is needed for passage. The problem with these surveys is that they often become a referendum on the quality of education the school district is providing (we all think they’re doing a good job) and not on the ability of families to afford hundreds of more dollars in taxes.

Many families struggle just to keep the lights on and the mortgage paid, and while the “sky is falling” rant might be appropriate for state government, our school district remains solvent. Whether the new tax passes or not, our children will continue to be well educated and our teachers and administrators well-compensated.

At least in the school district’s defense, teacher furlough days have been imposed and management salaries have been trimmed.

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, on the other hand, recently passed a new union contract that allows employees to continue receiving a fully-paid state pension in addition to
their federal Social Security. Taxpayers are paying twice for these public employee retirements. In addition, the new contract calls for water district salaries to go up in a year. Total benefits in the water district far exceed what’s being offered in the private sector. Why the water district chose to buckle to the union demands we can’t say.

Until water districts and school districts make a more definitive move to cut employee benefits—and unions acquiesce—voters will not continue to support higher fees and taxes. The average Joes are doing their part and they just don’t feel like the public administrators with the golden parachutes are doing theirs.

If, down the road, your school taxes and water rates rise (again), don’t say you weren’t warned.


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