The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 105, No. 7 - February 11, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................4 Legals............................ 12,13 Police Reports.....................3 Real Estate.....................7-10 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast Beloved El Segundo High School Custodian Retires After 35 Years On January 28, more than 1,400 students, teachers, staff, and administrators, and former employees gathered to help usher El Segundo Unified School District employee Gable Solomon into his retirement with a surprise rally at El Segundo High School (ESHS). Photos by Ralf Stier. For story and more photos see page 2. • Friday Sunny 80˚/56˚ Saturday Sunny 78˚/57˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 85˚/60˚ Ballot Arguments Consider Pros, Cons of Hotel Tax Increase By Brian Simon In addition to selecting three individuals to fill open seats on the City Council, El Segundo voters on April 12 will also weigh in on a ballot initiative that if approved would increase the local transient occupancy tax (TOT) from the current 8% up to 12%. The TOT, also referred to as “hotel tax,” impacts only persons staying in lodging facilities. Hotel operators do not pay this tax, but rather collect it from customers and then remit the monies to the City. In order for the measure to proceed, a simple majority of voters must approve it in April. The City Attorney’s impartial analysis specifies that the four-point increase would yield the City an additional $3.2 million in annual revenues, based on public document estimates, and that these monies may be legally used for any general governmental purposes. Four of the five El Segundo City Councilmembers (Mayor Suzanne Fuentes, Mayor Pro Tem Carl Jacobson, Dave Atkinson and Marie Fellhauer) signed off on the Argument in Favor of Measure B. They note that the initiative adjusts the TOT to market rate “while retaining the City’s competitive edge” and add that the estimated $3.2 million in new general fund revenues can fund capital improvements, infrastructure, increased services and necessary personnel. “This revenue comes from hotel visitors who benefit from City services without taking money out of El Segundo residents’ pockets,” the Argument in Favor reads. “All TOT revenue goes directly to the City of El Segundo. Best of all, the State and Los Angeles County cannot take this revenue.” The Argument in Favor compares El Segundo’s TOT, which has stayed at 8% since 1996, to other cities in the market region--with the overall average (including tourism assessment) of municipalities adjacent to LAX or Long Beach Airport at 12.9%. Examples given of TOT rates elsewhere include the City of Los Angeles-Century Boulevard (15.5%), Long Beach (15%), Santa Monica (14%), Inglewood (14%), Hermosa Beach (12%), Redondo Beach (12%), and Hawthorne (12%). Citizens who signed off on the Argument Against Measure B are former City Councilmembers Mike Robbins and Jane Friedkin, Charles Wilkerson, Marc Rener and Mike Van Biezen. They refer to the initiative as a “bait-and-switch tax hike,” asserting that “the City lured hotels with a business attraction program and a lower competitive hotel TOT” and now propose to raise the tax by “a whopping 50%.” They go on to say that the TOT is in addition to existing property, business license and utility user (electricity, water, gas and communication services) taxes already imposed on hotels. The Argument Against also emphasizes that Measure B is a “permanent” tax with no expiration date even if future new development provides millions in new City revenues in addition to the “millions more from Chevron” already received. The opponents maintain that See Tax Increase, page 13 School Board Honors ESUSD High Achievers By Duane Plank The Tuesday night meeting of the El Segundo Unified School District School Board was highlighted by multiple special presentations that shone the spotlight on some of the District’s best and brightest students. Seven special presentations were on deck after Board President Jim Garza called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The presentations included the recognition of High School students who recently captured the championship of the MIT Zero Robotics ISS Virtual Challenge championship on January 25; High School students who recently took part in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition that took place a couple of weeks ago at Texas A&M University; the recognition of a High School student who was one of ten winners in the CSU Sacramento LegiSchool Essay Contest; and Arena Virtual Academy student Izabella Whitley, who was selected as a recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc. to help further pursue her education and career goals. High School principal Jaime Mancilla and mathematics instructor Jennifer Cho, one of the team coaches, made the presentation See School Board, page 11
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