Taxes for BCHD

Beach Reporter 2/22/20

We pay $3.8 million in annual property taxes to BCHD, while BCHD takes another $8.7 million annually from the “trust fund” we gave them in the form of the South Bay Hospital District’s assets of the campus, the hospital building and business, and bond proceeds. BCHD also charges $2.8 million a year for programs (like gym memberships). All together, that means for every $1 in property taxes that we give BCHD, they add $2.29 in “trust fund” proceeds and charge 74 cents for programs. BCHD has a total of $4.03 to spend per dollar of property taxes we pay. BCHD has a propaganda line that goes, "… for every $1 in property tax we take from you, we give you back $3.48 in services." OK, but you take $4.03 in revenue per $1 in property tax. Where’s the other 55 cents? Data shows that BCHD pays 47 cents per $1 of property taxes they collect from us to [its] top ten paid employees, according to Transparent California. That goes a long way to closing the gap of what happens to our property taxes paid to BCHD. We cannot let BCHD build a 430-unit senior apartment complex that’s sized for 80% tenants from outside the three beach cities. We cannot suffer the environmental injustice of 15 years of construction chronic stress (Bluezones.com’s silent killer) and 50+ years of operation. Should we take away their trust fund and stop property taxes until they listen? —Mark Nelson, Redondo Beach