(June 27, 2008) -- Becki Ames, Chief of Staff to Mayor Bob Foster says that a "Comprehensive Citywide Investment Package" is being weighed for placement on the November 2008 city ballot...and said that no final decisions have been made on its form or composition.

"The Mayor is considering details, drilling down facts, demanding specifics, so what's proposed will meet his comfort level," Ms. Ames said. "We're still getting information. We had to determine how much will be needed. That took time. We had to find out exactly what we had to deal with. What I'm telling you is, how that will be dealt with hasn't decided."

Does it include some kind of parcel tax or assessment? "Nothing has been decided yet."

If it's not some kind of parcel tax, what is it? "Look, it's not a secret. The Mayor has said for months that he thinks there should be a measure on the November ballot to address city infrastructure needs."

In general terms, what does he have in mind? "I'm telling you that hasn't been decided, and if anyone tells you otherwise they don't know what they're talking about."

[LBReport.com note: We didn't report that it had been decided but that some sort of parcel tax or assessment is being considered.]

The Mayor said last August that the City is living paycheck to paycheck and in January [2008 State of the City] he said that he wants some type of ballot measure to deal with infrastructure. He must have had something in mind. What is it?

"He's going through what's needed in detail. We had to get that figure. The Mayor wants to be sure of the numbers and I'm telling you that he demands answers and details. This takes time."

This looks like the standard technique of keeping a controversial item under wraps for as long as possible to prevent giving opponents a target to shoot at and keeping the press and critics from taking it apart.

"I expect this will be controversial for some and there will be opponents and that's fine. They'll have all of August, September, October and early November to make their case to the voters."

But the Council has to decide in just weeks [by early August, basically a month away with the intervening July 4th holiday] on whether to put it on the ballot. When do you plan to release something? "We're shooting for mid-July."

City Manager Pat West has agendized a special City Council meeting on July 1 at 2 p.m. for a study session/budget workshop.including "revenue options for consideration." So will that include what the Mayor proposes? "That agenda item is in response to what Councilmembers Gabelich and Lerch requested a few weeks ago."