Business owners in Los Angeles are aghast at a proposal to pay extra taxes for the city to help squash mosquito outbreaks.
That backlash could put a significant dent on city officials’ plans to combat the annoying insect.
“Unfortunately, that’s going to be a rather expensive endeavor,” Steve Vetrone, an assistant general manager for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, told the LA Times.
He added: “I can tell you right now that’s not something that we can do with our current operating budget.”
Complaints to local agencies to control the bloodsucking pests have spiked recently.
Scourges of the insect have hit Southern California amid heavy rains in the past months, the California Post previously reported.
“We are seeing five times as many mosquitoes at this time of year compared to the five-year average,” Brian Brannon, an inspector with the Orange County Vector Control, told CBS News. “There’s a lot of mosquito breeding going on right now.”
The city’s solution is to release sterilized male mosquitoes for the third year in a row this May. Female mosquitoes that mate with those males will end up producing nonviable eggs that will not hatch.
The last two years saw an 80% drop in the female population for two treated neighborhoods. The entire process costs money, though.
Officials are seeking up to $20 a year per single family home to expand the sterilization across the entire county. That would be in addition to $18.97 that homeowners already pay for the district’s services.
Sample ballots sent out last April asked voters if they’d support that increase. Only 47% responded yes, with business owners particularly opposed.
“Data showed that single family homeowners were pretty supportive, but fewer business owners with larger parcels and potentially higher dues did not see the benefit in the additional expense,” Susanne Kluh, general manager for the district, told the Times.
Kluh and officials are reportedly trying again with another round of sample ballots next year.
Restaurant owners should be invested to help protect the outdoor dining experience, she argued, while apartment landlords could miss revenue if renters get sick.
Convincing businesses could be a tall task.
“I understand why businesses would vote against it. You don’t live in the area and why would you pay more money for something that won’t affect your business,” one user commented on social media.
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