(July 22, 2008) -- The City Council tonight (July 22) voted 8-1 (Schipske dissenting) to put the parcel tax proposed by city management and Mayor Bob Foster to fund categories of infrastructure on the November 2008 ballot where it will require a 2/3 vote to pass.
City management and Mayor Bob Foster have compiled a list of projects reflecting their choices and priorities, but no Council hearings have been held on the matter...and specifics on exactly what infrastructure projects would be funded, when and where, will ultimately be decided subsequently by the City Council. The measure requires a 2/3 vote of the public to pass,
Two major LB interest groups, the LB Area Chamber of Commerce and the Apt. Ass'n, CA Southern Cities, didn't testify at the Council meeting. Two downtown commercial property owners testified in opposition.
The action came over two weeks before the legal deadline for action. City Clerk Larry Herrera told the Council that its deadline for putting the measure on the ballot was August 8 and the last scheduled Council meeting on August 5...although by that time (City Manager Pat West said) it would be too late for the Council to make substantive changes to the tax as proposed.
The Council isn't scheduled to meet next Tuesday July 29 but has the authority to call a special meeting on any date between July 23 through August 8.
Council approval to put the measure on the ballot came on motion by Councilman Gary Delong. It included a friendly amendment by Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga who indicated that based on response at a Sat. July 19 meeting among her area neighborhood leaders, she favored creating a "citizens oversight committee."
Councilwoman Reyes Uranga had in hand text she indicated was approved by the City Attorney specifying that the group would have only advisory status and would be comprised of 11 members, 1 from each Council district, 2 at large appointed by Mayor with Council approval. Councilwoman Reyes Uranga's amendment was acccepted.
(As previously reported by LBReport.com, Mayor Bob Foster indicated following a July 21 ELB Town Hall meeting that a citizens advisory panel of this nature would be proposed.)
Councilwoman Rae Gabelich made another friendly amendment that oversight committee members be chosen from recommendations referred to the Mayor by Councilmember from the district. Gabelich's amendment was accepted.
Vice Mayor Val Lerch said he favored amending the measure to provide a senior citizen exemption for tenants (not just property owners). Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood said the Council could continue the item to another Council meeting but noted that if the Council wished to make changes to the measure's tax rates, these would require additional notice (and additional time periods). Vice Mayor Lerch opted not to pursue the senior citizen renter exemption further.
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske urged the Council to hold further meetings and allow more discussion (by Council and the public) before voting to put the parcel tax on the ballot. She noted that passage could be difficult as the LB School Board has put a $1.2 billion debt bond on the same ballot, MTA is considering a half-cent sales tax increase...and Sacramento may try to raise the state sales tax.
She also noted that management and the Mayor hadn't released their proposed FY 09 budget yet...and taxpayers (and the Council) don't know if it would propose service cuts at the same time as City Hall is asking for a new tax.
Councilwoman Schipske said her email was running strongly opposed to the parcel tax...and noted that some members of the business community had testified in opposition to the measure (at the July 22 meeting) citing its cost. She argued that under these circumstances, City Hall risked having voters reject the parcel tax...and repeatedly argued that allowing additional public input would be helpful in passing the measure.
She also argued that the Council had options that might be more palatable to voters...including giving voters a choice of smaller, separate measures for public safety, parks and library facilities, instead of only one large measure with multiple infrastructure categories.
Schipske urged her colleagues to hold at least one additional public hearing...but City Manager Pat West responded that if the Council waited until August 5 (its next regularly scheduled meeting date), it would be too late to make any substantive changes.
Vice Mayor Lerch called for the question. The vote was 8-1 (Schipske dissenting).
The property parcel tax measure now goes on the Nov. 08 ballot...where LB voters will have the last word. A 2/3 vote in support is needed for passage.
