After almost three hours of deliberation, the Beverly Hills City Council failed to take a formal position to back the Board of Education in its opposition of Measure J, voting 4-1 to “not take a position in support of Measure J” at its study session on Tuesday afternoon.

Measure J is an extension of a half-cent transportation sales tax that would extend 30 more years into 2069. Vice Mayor John Mirisch, a staunch opposer of Measure J and a member of the Coalition to Vote No on Measure J, was the lone dissenter of the resolution crafted by councilmembers Lili Bosse and Barry Brucker.

Mirisch said the resolution simply didn’t send a strong enough message.  “Not supporting something is not the same as opposing it,” Mirisch said of the resolution. ”This doesn’t address the civil rights, social justice or spending (issues).”

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