Beverly Hills : Suit Filed Over School Tax

Nine voters have filed a lawsuit alleging that election officials erred in rejecting dozens of “yes” votes from the count that would have meant victory for the Beverly Hills school tax measure on the June ballot.

The tax to benefit the schools fell four votes short of the two-thirds majority necessary for passage, according to a recount last month. But the suit, which was filed last week, charges that an election board that was deciding on disputed and questionable ballots determined that 52 yes votes were “non votes,” and excluded them from the tally.

The suit in Los Angeles Superior Court asks that these ballots be counted, and the election results overturned.

The tax, which would apply to each parcel of land in the city, would have raised $4.5 million a year for the Beverly Hills Unified School District.

Its failure means teachers lose a 3% pay raise for the 1990-91 school year. The school district also has laid off 41 teachers because of the tax’s apparent defeat.