South Gate : Council Rejects Proposed Tax Hike to Maintain Parks

A plan to increase property tax bills by about $5 a month to maintain parks was dropped Tuesday when the South Gate City Council refused to support the fee hike.

The fee would have raised $1.3 million to maintain South Gate Park and Hollydale Park. City staff members said it was needed to counter recent state budget cuts. Without the extra funds, the staff warned, residents could face reduced services at the parks and fewer police officers on the streets.

But council members, after listening to more than four hours of public testimony, said that raising the fee was not the answer. “You can’t tax yourself into prosperity,” Councilman Larry Leonard said.

The council did approve a 79-cent-a-month increase for the Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance Assessment District to cover rising operating costs. Funds raised through the district pay to maintain city street lights, traffic signals, street trees and medians.

Council members said they avoided drastic service reductions by tapping nearly $600,000 in reserve funds last week when they approved a $19-million general fund budget. The council approved other cuts, including a reduction in city training and travel expenses.

Todd W. Argow, the city’s chief administrative officer, said his staff already cut $1.4 million out of this year’s budget.