Laguna Beach needs tax hike

Lagunans who haven’t already voted absentee shouldn’t forget to get out to their polling places Tuesday and cast their ballots on Measure A, the proposed half-cent sales tax increase.

The sales tax hike, put on the ballot by the City Council, has been endorsed by just about every major group -- even the watchdog Taxpayer’s Assn. has signed on, despite its generally anti-tax stance. No organized opposition has surfaced, and no opposing arguments appear on the ballot.

The tax is expected to raise $1.7 million a year over its six-year lifespan, money that will go directly into city coffers to offset expenses from the June 1 landslide, which could cost as much as $15 million before Bluebird Canyon is back to a semblance of what it was before the earth moved.

Repairs to Flamingo Road will be expensive, because the road dropped 40 feet during the landslide. A new street, sewers and storm drains are estimated to cost $5 million to $8 million, which will be in addition to $7 million needed for emergency measures to stabilize the area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state Office of Emergency Operations will cover only a fraction of these costs -- perhaps as little as $3 million, city officials have said.

These costs represent a breathtaking chunk of the city’s general fund of about $35 million a year. No city could withstand an expense equal to a third or more of its revenues without tearing away many of the services that residents and visitors count on.

The money left over, estimated at $3.5 million, will be set aside in a disaster relief fund in the event of future calamities, so the city won’t find itself in this position again.

Some opposition to the tax hike has arisen from critics of the city’s sometimes freewheeling spending practices -- such as the out-of-control expense of the Treasure Island Park, which ended up costing about four times more than planned. That’s an embarrassment that should never be repeated.

As if on cue, on Tuesday the Council announced that a seven-member oversight committee will be appointed to oversee spending of revenues from the tax increase, if it comes to pass.

That should ease the minds of those who question the council’s spending habits.

This modest sales tax hike is needed to keep city services intact while the recovery effort proceeds. We hope voters agree.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should a citizens commission oversee city spending of revenues from the half-cent sales tax increase? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification purposes only.