Declaring its own “Boston Tea Party,” the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday began plotting a tax revolt against the state of California by withholding potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax payments.

The move was a response to the nearly broke state government saying it will defer billions of dollars in payments to counties statewide this month until lawmakers agree on a deal to close the $42 billion budget deficit.

The supervisors asked staff members to look into tax revenues that the county normally collects and passes along to Sacramento to see if instead the county can legally hold on to that money. “We’re declaring our own Boston Tea Party right here in Los Angeles County,” Supervisor Gloria Molina said.

The state controller plans to delay $3.5 billion in payments to counties statewide, including $1.4 billion to Los Angeles, this month. Additionally, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is reportedly looking at deferring billions more dollars in payments to counties over the next seven months.

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