Important Information about Measure P
On March 3, 2009 Beverly Hills voters will vote on Measure P, a ballot measure to revise the methods for calculating certain business taxes in Beverly Hills and provide stable, locally controlled funding to support general city services, including:
- Maintaining police and fire protection
- Continue the City’s agreement that helps support Beverly Hills’ schools
- Paving and repairing local streets
- Keeping parks and public areas landscaped and well-maintained
Measure P will make technical changes to some of the City’s existing business taxes, including:
- Revising the 30-year-old oil extraction tax by eliminating the flat rate per barrel of oil and linking the tax to the price of oil
- Modifying the flat fee which are currently based on the number of people a given business employs. This type of flat tax is charged to businesses that provide professional services, personal services or operate commercial parking lots in Beverly Hills. The flat tax would be converted to a method for calculating the tax that it is based on gross receipts.
- Taxes for businesses headquartered in Beverly Hills will be based on gross payroll rather than number of employees.
Please note that this measure only impacts businesses and will not increase taxes paid by homeowners or other residents of the city who do not own businesses in Beverly Hills. If this measure passes, Beverly Hills business taxes on professionals, personal services and headquarters businesses would still be lower than Los Angeles.
Text of Measure P:
“Shall the ordinance that amends the method for calculating certain business taxes in the City of Beverly Hills to increase locally controlled revenue for city services and operations—such as, police, fire, paramedics, parks, and street repair—by converting the per barrel flat tax on oil companies, and the per employee flat tax on certain other businesses—including, professionals and commercial parking operations—to taxes based on gross receipts or gross payroll, be adopted?
__Yes __ No
