Long Beach voters will not be asked to approve a property tax hike in November to pay for city services, after a city-commissioned poll found they are likely to oppose it.
The poll, obtained by the Post through a public records request, introduced the idea of a parcel tax that levies 8 cents per square foot of land, equivalent to $630 more a year for the average Long Beach homeowner. The new tax would have required the approval of two-thirds of Long Beach voters.
Officials hoped it would bring in $200 million per year, though they later realized it would need to be triple the figure they polled on, closer to $1,800 for the average homeowner, to collect that amount. (They said a consultant made that error and refunded the polling cost.)
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Responses from 871 residents — through telephone calls, or online surveys from Oct. 14 to 22 — found that 80% said it is not the right time to raise taxes, even if the money is needed to cover services — street repairs, police and fire — that might otherwise be lost…