Wednesday, November 04, 2009

HOTEL/BUSINESS ELECTION TAX MEASURES: A MIXED BAG OF RESULTS IN CITIES ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


By Randy Economy
Hotel bed taxes were on the ballot in Artesia, Irwindale, Rancho Palos Verdes, Pico Rivera, and Pomona yesterday, and the results were a mix bag.

The Irwindale measure imposing a new 10 percent bed tax passed with an overwhelming 85 percent to 15 percent margin, but in the tony South Bay enclave of  Rancho Palos Verdes, a hotel/motel  bed tax increase from 10 percent to 12 percent was defeated by a narrow 51 percent to 49 percent margin.


Locally, there was also a hotel tax on the ballot in Artesia. Measure S would have doubled the tax to 12.5% a night, was trailing by 10 votes.  There are still a few dozen provisional ballots remained to be counted as of Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters Office in Norwalk from Artesia, so the outcome is not "officially" known.

Another business-related measure in Artesia was also too close to call. Measure Y, which would significantly increase business taxes, trailed by 12 votes.  Artesia has had lots of close local votes over the years and this campaign is no exception.

Irwindale, Pico Rivera and Pomona all passed measures to restructure their utility taxes. Redondo Beach's attempt  to repeal a utility tax exemption for power generator AES Corp. failed by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin.  AES remains exempt from the city’s 4.75 percent utility tax.

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