The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 106, No. 51 - December 21, 2017 Inside This Issue Best of the Best................11 Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................11 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................6 Legals............................ 12,13 Obituaries.............................2 Pets......................................15 Real Estate.....................7-10 Sports.............................. 5,13 Weekend Forecast Air Force Secretary Visits SMC Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and Air Force Lt. Gen. John Thompson, Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center and Program Executive Officer for Space, pose for a photo with Air Force 2nd Lt Zachary Nuss, far left, and Dr. Steven Pluntze, far right, in front of a decommissioned Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 20 satellite during the Space and Missile Systems Center’s lecture series, Airmen Everywhere, at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo on December 14. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Corrice). Sales Tax Measure to Go to April Ballot, City Scores Well in Surveys By Brian Simon The El Segundo City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to place a ballot measure on the April 10 election to impose a threequarter Wiseburn School Board Holds First Meeting in Douglas Facility By Duane Plank Five weeks after the Wiseburn Unified School District (WUSD) students moved into the glistening new retrofitted building located on Douglas Street, the Wiseburn School Board members held their first meeting in the first-floor room of the new high school last Thursday. The open session, which started at 7 p.m. and ended at 8:45, featured the selection of member JoAnne Kaneda as the new President. Kaneda, who served two terms on the Board from 2001-2009, rejoined the group in 2014. She received her MBA from Drake University and brings her vast managerial skills, sharpened in the aerospace industry, to her new post. Kaneda thanked outgoing President Israel Mora for his contributions and noted the District was in a “time of transition,” as the search for a new superintendent kicks into high gear. She accepted her new position on the Board, saying, “I am honored and a little awed. I look for everyone’s help [in this transition time].” Selected to the Vice President/Clerk position was Roger Banuelos, who thanked Mora for his leadership as the District moved forward with innovative learning programs and shepherded the construction of the new high school. During the members comments portion of the meeting, Mora thanked all See Wiseburn, page 12 cent (0.75 percent) sales tax increase. However, even if passed by a majority of El Segundo voters, it will only become effective if Los Angeles County places its own sales tax hike on a future ballot. By passing the tax first and thus beating the County to the punch, the additional revenues (an estimated $9 million annually) would go to the City of El Segundo instead of the County. If a County measure fails, El Segundo then would immediately suspend collection of the tax. Today’s sales tax is 9.50 percent and the State currently allows a cap at 10.25 percent (and that number can still go up in the future). Many municipalities across California have passed sales tax increases over the past year. For instance, more than two-thirds of voters in neighboring Hawthorne recently approved a measure to go from 9.50 to 10.25 to address that city’s budget deficits. With the move, all those additional revenues will go to Hawthorne and not the County. In the case of El Segundo, the Council members expressed that they do not wish to raise taxes--but they reason that if the County will inevitably impose the increase down the line anyway, why not ensure the monies stay local? Councilmember Don Brann noted that if a majority of El Segundo voters don’t support the measure, “then they will be paying the tax to LA County” eventually anyway. City Attorney Mark Hensley noted El Segundo is in uncharted territory and could risk a legal challenge by the County as to which entity came first (if the measures occur simultaneously). An alternate, less risky option discussed was to pre-set a date for the tax to kick in whether there is a County measure or not. However, the Council members felt strongly that the increase should only be implemented contingent on the County placing its own measure on the ballot. “I’m not afraid of getting challenged—if it loses, it loses,” Councilmember Mike Dugan said. Hensley pointed out that the County has already been “cut out by other cities that have passed tax measures.” He then wondered, “Are they motivated to take us on?” Brann, who offered to author the ballot argument with his colleagues signing it, emphasized that the measure will need a strong campaign. “It’s not going to be easy to explain this [to voters],” he said. The argument must be in Friday See City Council, page 13 Mostly Sunny 63˚/48˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 64˚/50˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 66˚/52˚
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