I didn’t even realize that Covina had a separate tax that was proposed — in addition to the recently passed utility tax — but there was. And now that Covina residents voted it down, officials are are having to scramble to find alternatives in the budget to pay for the lighting and landscaping, Amanda Baumfeld reports.

COVINA – City officials might turn off street lights and stop pulling weeds after residents overwhelmingly voted against a planned tax hike in specialty districts.

Voter results of mail-in ballots for a proposed tax increases in lighting and landscaping districts were revealed at a June 17 City Council meeting.

About 79 percent of the lighting district ballots voted against the tax increase and 95 percent in landscaping districts also opted for no tax increases. Ballots went to more than 3,000 properties.

The proposed lighting and landscaping taxes would have gone directly to a maintenence fund for the affected districts, officials said.

“The street lighting district will be in a deficit mode,” said Steve Henley, public works director. “Funds will need to be found to either subsidize the operation or council will have to direct us to shut the lights down.”