A city staff Power Point presentation -- not available to the public [or reporters] online until the 2 p.m. hour on the day of the agenda item [source: LB City Clerk's office] -- displayed several tax increase options (reproduced by LBREPORT.com below.) The recommendations are the result of 9-0 Council vote on July 24 that approved an item agendized by Councilman Rex Richardson to ask city staff to provide options to the Council for a "dedicated local revenue source" to address LB homeless and "affordable housing" issues.

LBREPORT.com reproduces city staff's PPT tax increase options below.

[Scroll down for further.]

In presenting city staff's Aug. 21 PPT report, Assistant City Manager Tom Modica said revenue from a debt bond could fund construction costs but not operational costs, and both a debt bond and a parcel property tax would require 2/3 voter approval. City staff suggested a timeline to September 2018 that could allow the Council to put such a measure(s) on the March 2020 or November 2020 [presidential election] ballot.

If approved by LB voters, the tax increase(s) would give LB City Hall a new revenue stream(s) indicated below) that the City Council would ultimately control for allocation to homeless-related items (sought by homeless advocacy groups) and "affordable"/below market/subsidized housing (including "incentives" sought by housing developers.)

Source: City staff PPT presentation, agenda item 21, Aug. 21, 2018

During Council discussion, no Councilmember or the Mayor spoke the word "tax"; Councilman Richardson repeatedly referred to the proposed tax measure(s) as a "dedicated local revenue source."

Richardson said he was pleased with the proposed year-long timeline, allowing time to discuss and develop a ballot measure(s), conduct what he called a "conversation" on the issue with "public outreach" and seek support from building trade unions and various community groups.

No Councilmember(s) made a motion to postpone action due to the public's inability to see the report's on which the Council would be voting the same night.

No Councilmember(s) spoke in opposition.

Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce supported Richardson's motion to approve spending $50,000 to hire a consultant who (city staff said) could advise the city on how to approach the issue and conduct a "public outreach" process in doing so.

Councilwoman Suzie Price stated [consistent with her position on July 24] that although she acknowledges a connection between homelessness and affordable housing, she remains unclear on exactly how the ballot measure(s) advanced by proponents would deal with the two issues. Councilwoman Price also emphasized that she wants the "public outreach" process to seek and include views pro/con from all Council districts (but voted for Richardson's motion although it offered no explicit guarantees of this.)

The Councilmembers voting "yes" were Gonzalez, Pearce, Price, Supernaw, Andrews, Uranga and Richardson.

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