This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/sac/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Sacramento County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
Measure D
Incorporation
Proposed City of Arden Arcade

Majority Approval Required

Fail: 6,927 / 24.57% Yes votes ...... 21,266 / 75.43% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Jan 3 10:57am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (82/82)
Information shown below: Official Information | Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

Shall the order adopted June 25, 2010, by Sacramento County LAFCo, ordering the incorporation of the territory described and designated as "City of Arden Arcade" be confirmed subject to terms and conditions specified in the order, including payments to Sacramento County commencing FY 2012-2013 and terminating after $219,000,000 is paid, and for the City to levy and collect the same taxes, fees, charges, assessments and rates currently imposed by Sacramento County, as particularly described in the order?

Official Sources of Information

Impartial Analysis from Executive Officer, Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission
This measure submits to registered voters the question of whether the community of Arden Arcade should become a general law city.

A general description of the proposed city:

All that territory bounded on the west and north by the Sacramento City limits, on the north by Auburn Boulevard and the centerline of Winding Way, on the east by the centerline of Jacob Lane and Mission Avenue and its northerly extension to the centerline of Cypress Avenue, and on the south by the centerline of the American River.

Incorporation will have no identifiable financial impacts upon residents or businesses. The incorporation will not increase taxes. Property, utility, transient occupancy taxes, other taxes, assessments, fees, and parcel charges currently levied will remain the same. The revenue from these taxes and parcel charges will be transferred to the new city and the city will be responsible for providing municipal services supported by these revenues.

Services provided include: general municipal government including, law enforcement, land use planning, building inspection, public works and animal control. Some services may be provided through contract. The incorporation does not propose to change services provided by special districts or private purveyors for water, parks, fire and other municipal services.

An independent comprehensive fiscal analysis found the proposed city to be economically feasible. This analysis was based upon the new city providing the same level of service as that provided by the County of Sacramento during the Fiscal Year 2008-09.

If approved by the voters, the incorporation would:

  • Provide that the name of the city be the City of Arden Arcade.
  • Create a general law city with an appointed City Manager, effective July 1, 2011.
  • Provide for the election of a City Council of six members by district, and a mayor to be elected at-large commencing November 2012. At this election (November 2010) seven members shall be elected at large and the mayor appointed by the City Council from its own ranks.
  • Establish a first year appropriation limit of $40,231,491.
  • Beginning in Fiscal Year 2012-13, and continuing until the total amount of $219,000,000 has been paid to the County of Sacramento, the City and the County shall share the City's portion of all secured and unsecured ad valorem property taxes levied and collected pursuant to State law. This revenue neutrality payment complies with the terms and conditions of incorporation imposed by the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission, and agreed to by the incorporation proponents and the County of Sacramento.
  • Confirm that existing ordinances, land uses, utility user taxes, transient occupancy taxes, fees, charges, and assessments be continued by the new city at the same rate and manner unless changed by the City Council.

Voters who believe that Arden Arcade community should be incorporated into a city on the terms set forth in the proposal should vote "yes" on this measure. Voters who believe the area should remain unincorporated and have Sacramento County continue to provide local services should vote "no" on the measure.

Prepared by Peter Brundage, Executive Officer, Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission

 
This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure D Arguments Against Measure D
A "Yes" vote on Measure D will allow us to restore vital services like Sheriff's patrols, anti-gang efforts and community policing - without raising taxes.

The County can no longer afford to provide essential services to our neighborhoods: they've drastically cut public safety, planning, street maintenance and other services.

Voting "Yes" on Measure D will help us repair our roads, clean up blight and support vital services - without raising taxes.

Right now, more than 40% of the money from our community is essentially exported to other neighborhoods. A "Yes" vote on will keep those dollars here, providing vital services for our residents and neighborhoods.

Some politicians falsely claimed a new city means higher taxes; but that is just not true. Leading Taxfighters - like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and People's Advocate- have stated clearly that creating a new city does not raise taxes.

An independent financial review shows that a new city would be financially stable and viable - with about the same level of funding as Citrus Heights with no new taxes.

Vote Yes on D - it will help provide more law enforcement and vital services without raising taxes one dime!

s/Ted Costa, CEO
People's Advocate
s/Joshua Wood, Past Chairman
Arden Arcade Community Planning Councils
Rob Harrison, Board Member
Fulton-El Camino Park & Recreation District
s/Kevin Mickelson, President
Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff's Association

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Here is what cityhood proponents aren't telling us.

They're not telling us that the California Highway Patrol will no longer provide traffic enforcement and critical second responder services in the new city. We will lose half the law enforcement officers currently serving our community. It will cost at least $2.5 million to replace them. That's a public safety risk we can't afford.

They're not telling us that they're relying on risky state Vehicle License Fees to pay for about a quarter of the new city's budget. The state routinely withholds those funds from California cities, and in some months it has deferred up to 95 percent of total receipts!

They're not telling us that that their own fiscal analysis assumes nearly $20 million in annual sales tax revenues-- increasing every year--without accounting for the fact that car dealerships, shopping centers and other businesses are declining. The new city's budget is like a house of cards-- casting doubt on a host of new services promised to residents.

They're not telling us that their own fiscal analysis reveals a new city would be financially risky: "The new City could experience shortfalls or inadequate fund balances during its initial years of operations."

They're not telling us that they're making promises they can't keep. Built-in shortfalls mean reduced services or tax increases. That's sure to make Arden-Arcade a second-class city. Measure D is simply a risk we can't afford.

Vote NO on Measure D.

s/James Beckwith,
Bank President/Wilhaggin Resident
s/Fred Dowdle,
California Highway Patrol Sgt. (retired)/ Del Paso Manor
Resident
s/Michael Lyon,
Businessman/Realtor/Arden Oaks Resident
s/Daniel Orey,
CSUS Professor/ Town and Country Resident
s/William Welker,
USAF Lt. Colonel (retired)/Church Volunteer/
Misson Oaks Resident

Arden Arcade cityhood is a risk we can't afford. More bureaucracy means more employees, more costly pensions, more health plans, more equipment, more politicians, more offices and more taxes - all paid for out of your pocket. And if voters don't approve the new taxes needed to pay for all this extra government, we'll be stuck with a second-class city!

Advocates cite no important reason for incorporating this residential area. They are trying to scare us into supporting their scheme by suggesting we will be able to put more police officers on the streets. But other cities in the region have more crime than we do in the unincorporated Arden Arcade community. Adding more officers will not come free - Measure D will cost you more in taxes!

It's irresponsible to propose a costly new city, especially during a severe recession when property and sales tax revenues - from car dealerships, shopping centers and other businesses - have declined sharply. We cannot count on taxes from our local businesses to pay for new planning departments, public works, finance offices, weed abatement crews, street maintenance and other city functions already provided by the county. Taxes will have to go up.

Unlike other new cities, Arden Arcade is fully built out. We cannot count on growth and development as Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove did to pay for new city services. You will foot that bill.

Under law, the new city would have to reimburse Sacramento County $219 million over 35 years - $8.7 million in the first year alone! Experts estimate revenues in Arden Arcade will fall short of the amount needed to meet that obligation. Again, you will have to make up the difference in higher taxes. What will you really get if we create Arden Arcade, California? Higher taxes! Vote No on Measure D.

s/Mike Duveneck, Chair
Sacramentans Against Measure D
s/Rick Martinez, Chief Emeritus
Sacramento Metro Fire District
s/Kristin M. Elser,
Parent/Garden of Gods resident
s/John Frisch,
Businessman/Arden Park resident
s/Stan Atkinson,
TV News Anchor/reporter (retired)/Arden Arcade resident

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Measure D doesn't raise taxes - leading tax-fighting groups like Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the People's Advocate agree. Any claim that Measure D raises taxes is simply false. Ask yourself: is your neighborhood better than it was 3 years ago? Are your roads or parks better? Is it safer?

Sacramento County is broke; they've cut hundreds of Deputy Sheriffs and other vital programs; raised rates on services and still face a multi-million dollar budget deficit and huge pension debts. Clearly, the biggest risk to our families and neighborhoods is doing nothing!

It's unbelievable and irresponsible to say that County budget cuts haven't dramatically reduced vital services in our neighborhoods, including law enforcement.

The fact is, our community has less than 1/2 the law enforcement protection as Citrus Heights or Rancho Cordova - that's why they doubled police protection (without new or higher taxes!)

Every independent analysis shows our community exports over 40% of our tax-dollars to other areas. A study by the Sacramento Local Area Formation Commission (available at http://www.saclafco.org) also shows the new city will be financially stable
- while still paying a fair share for county-wide services like CPS and the District Attorney's office.

Why support Measure D? Voting "Yes" will improve public safety, help create jobs, clean-up neighborhoods, restore programs for children and seniors and let us take control of our future instead of relying on downtown politicians to watch out for us.

Visit http://www.ArdenArcadeCity.org to see the facts for yourself.

s/Patricia Harrington, President
Del Paso Manor Home Owner's Association
s/Michael E. Grace, President
Arden Manor Neighborhood Association
s/Anthony A. Hernandez,
Arden Arcade Planning Commissioner
s/Joe Green, Founder & Coordinator
Cowen Neighborhood Watch


Sacramento Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: January 6, 2011 14:59 PST
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://cavotes.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.