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Smart Voter
Los Angeles County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Measure P
Utility User Tax
City of Bellflower

Ordinance - Majority Approval Required

Pass: 11,653 / 62.14% Yes votes ...... 7,099 / 37.86% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Dec 2 2:20pm, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting (37/37)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

Shall an ordinance to offset State financial cuts and help the City of Bellflower maintain and restore City services including: neighborhood Sheriff's patrols; local Sheriff's substation hours; drug, bullying and gang prevention/enforcement; graffiti removal; school safety/after-school programs; pothole repairs; and other services, by temporarily increasing Bellflower's utility users' tax by 2% for 5 years; with audits, low-income senior exemptions, citizens' oversight and all funds used for local purposes, be adopted?

Impartial Analysis from
JOSEPH W. PANNONE,
Bellflower City Attorney
CITY OF BELLFLOWER SERVICES PROTECTION EMERGENCY FUNDING MEASURE

Measure P proposes to increase Bellflower's existing Utility Users' Tax (UUT) from 5% to 7% for 5 years. That increase is proposed as a more dependable revenue. It is a source of revenue totally within local control - a source on which the community can rely to fund important City services.

Background.

Since 1993, Bellflower residents and businesses have paid the UUT on telecommunications, electricity and gas services. The City deposits UUT revenues into its General Fund and expends them through the annual budget for general City services, such as public safety, graffiti removal, gang and drug prevention and enforcement programs, after-school and youth summer activities and other services. Annual UUT revenues comprise approximately 16%, or $3.8 Million, of Bellflower's annual General Fund. Since its inception, the City has required an annual independent verification to confirm the UUT is being properly collected, remitted and spent.

In recent years, most cities and states, the nation and many individuals have encountered dire financial circumstances. To address the impacts those have caused to Bellflower's budget, the Council has made significant cuts to personnel, programs, operating costs and capital expenditures and increased cost recovery through a revised Comprehensive Fee Schedule. Even after implementing those steps, the City's expenses continue to outpace its revenues.

The projected operating budget deficit for the General Fund over the next two years is $1.6 Million. That deficit is the result of broad declines in City revenues, especially sales and property taxes. Those declines are in addition to local funds being taken to balance the State's General Fund deficit.

To ensure consistent, local revenue is available to allow the Bellflower community to pay for vital local services, such as neighborhood Sheriff's patrols, drug, gang and bullying prevention and enforcement, graffiti removal, crossing guards, after-school and youth summer activities, pothole repairs and other services, Measure P, if approved by the voters, would increase the current UUT. The Council intends to continue the independent annual review of the UUT.

Measure P would:

  • Increase the UUT from 5% to 7% only for the period from April 1, 2013, through March 31, 2018.
  • Require the UUT to return to 5%, automatically, on April 1, 2018, unless the voters extend the increase for a longer period.
  • Permit the Council to lower or suspend the UUT rate, but not raise it without another vote of the people.
  • Increase the General Fund annual revenue by approximately $1.5 Million over the 5-year period that increase would be in effect.
  • Maintain the existing exemption for low-income households; the Council may temporarily expand exemptions, but not reduce or eliminate exemptions for low-income households without voter approval.
  • Not tax the use of the Internet. Federal law prohibits taxing that use and the UUT complies with that law.

Measure P requires approval by a majority of voters. A "Yes" vote approves increasing the UUT from 5% to 7% for 5 years. A "No" vote disapproves that increase.

 
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Arguments For Measure P Arguments Against Measure P
Protect Bellflower from State money grabs - vote YES ON P!

Sacramento balances its budget on the backs of cities like Bellflower, forcing our City to cut services we rely on.

YES on ~ is a TEMPORARY measure to protect LOCAL services. Measure P makes Bellflower less dependent on Sacramento politicians by providing stable funding for services including public safety, graffiti removal, and youth/senior programs. By law, the State can't seize any Measure P funds.

Prior to the economic downturn Bellflower funded youth programs serving 1,500 kids. Budget cuts have eliminated many of these summer and after-school programs. Measure P maintains/restores critical programs - keeping kids away from gangs/drugs, and out of trouble.

With the State releasing over 400 new parolees into our region, now is the time to restore Sheriffs Substation hours and the four Sheriffs Deputies budget cuts forced Bellflower to eliminate. We need local funding to monitor these parolees, keeping Bellflower safe.

YES ON P MAINTAINS/RESTORES:

  • Sheriffs patrols
  • School safety/after-school programs
  • Our local Sheriffs Substation
  • Drug and gang prevention/enforcement

YES ON P IS FISCALLY ACCOUNTABLE.

YES on ~ is TEMPORARY, legally expires in 5 years and requires exemptions for low-income seniors, independent citizens' oversight and financial audits to ensure all funds are properly spent as promised to taxpayers. The public will continue to review all City expenditures.

If we're forced to continue cutting basic City services, Bellflower will quickly resemble neighboring, crime-ridden cities with gangs, graffiti, and rundown streets. We can't let this happen!

That's why local firefighters, sheriffs, the Bellflower City Council, business owners and community leaders support YES on r. -locally-controlled funding for essential City services that can't be taken by Washington or Sacramento.

Protect Bellflower's health and safety - VOTE YES ON P. Visit http://www.ProtectBellflower.com

DAN KOOPS
Mayor of Bellflower

RAYMOND DUNTON
Mayor Pro Tern of Bellflower

LEROY BACA
Sheriff of Los Angeles County

EULA CISNEROS
Bellflower Little League Board

ALEX SALAZAR
Bellflower Business Owner

Rebuttal to Arguments For
The politicians are claiming that Measure P is a "temporary tax." We are already burdened with too many "temporary taxes" that never go away.

The politicians claim that they will restore public safety after you agree to raise your taxes by 40%. But all the money will go into the general fund, the same fund that they used to create several Assistant Directors and double the pay of the highest paid employees at City Hall.

The politicians made campaign promises when they got the original Utility Users Tax passed.

WHAT THE POLITICIANS PROMISED:

  • Neighborhood police patrols
  • Funding for youth programs
  • Sheriff foot/bike patrols

WHAT THE POLITICIANS DELIVERED:
  • Newly created Assistant Directors making over $100,000 a year
  • Doubled the salaries of the highest paid managers in City Hall
  • Pensions of over $100,000 a year for retired employees
  • Eliminated 103 low-paying and part-time positions
  • Eliminated youth programs
  • Cut four Sheriff's Deputies

Bellflower needs fiscal sanity. Allowing the politicians to raise taxes every time they create a fiscal emergency (our second one in two years) enables them to continue their wasteful ways. They steadfastly refuse to eliminate the Assistant Directors positions they created or bring executive salaries and pensions back down to a reasonable level.

The recent City of Bell scandal started with excessively high taxes and ended as an embarrassment to the City. Don't let this happen to Bellflower. Reject the 40% tax increase by voting NO on Measure P.

JOHN PAUL DRAYER
Bellflower Homeowner

ART OLIVIER
Realtor

If you pay $100 in Utility User's Tax and this measure passes, you'll be paying $140. THAT'S A 40% INCREASE!

The City has eliminated 103 low-paying positions while adding several Assistant Directors with six-figure salaries and doubling the pay of their bosses. Many residents received pay cuts or had their homes devalued. We should not be forced to pay for their excesses.

To save money, the Council could eliminate the Assistant Director positions, spend less on legal services and utilize the offices at the Lakewood Sheriff's Station instead of raising our taxes and laying off the lowest paid workers that provide most of our services.

The City Council implies that the tax increase will pay for law enforcement and other important services. The reality is that THE MONEY GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND, the same fund used for the salaries of the highest paid employees in City Hall.

There are currently 16,000 retired state and local employees with pensions over $100,000 plus generous healthcare packages and cost of living increases. Many are retiring in their 50's. This is unsustainable. Voting NO ON ALL OF THE TAX INCREASES, forces the politicians to modify the public pension system to make it fair and sustainable.

The City has declared its second fiscal emergency in two years while stopping a green electric car company from moving into an abandoned car lot. If the City were business friendly, they could increase revenue without higher taxes.

The City spent about $500,000 (they have not released the exact amount) in election costs and advertising to get us to increase our taxes in the last two years.

In 2010, the PEOPLE WON and the COUNCILMEN LOST! Send them a message that they should do their jobs and stop wasting money by voting NO on HIGHER TAXES.

JOHN PAUL DRAYER
Bellflower Homeowner

JOSEPH E. CVETKO
Former Mayor

ART OLIVIER
Former Mayor

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
How ridiculous and irresponsible for ex-politicians and political novices to make these outlandish statements. Make no mistake+ YES on P protects your services from Sacramento takeaways!

Fact: In four years, Bellflower has cut $20 million including:

-Laying off 75 employees
-4 year salary freeze + NO Raises
-Eliminating 4 sheriff deputies
-Eliminating 4 assistant directors
-Reducing sheriff substation hours/patrols
-Reducing Dial-A-Ride services for seniors
-Eliminating after-school programs for youth

Fact: In January 2012, Sacramento seized Bellflower's economic redevelopment funds, taking $80,000,000 from our community.

Fact: Now, the State is releasing 400+ new parolees into our neighborhoods. In recent years, Bellflower has dramatically reduced crime, becoming a community where we want to live/raise our families. If we continue to cut essential services, Bellflower will begin to resemble neighboring cities with more crime, gangs, graffiti and rundown streets.

YES on P:

Restores sheriff substation hours and sheriff deputies
Increases sheriff patrols
Restores school safety programs
Restores drug/gang prevention and enforcement programs

YES on P is an Emergency Funding Measure allowing for a TEMPORARY, 2% increase in Bellflower's voter-approved UUT rate (2 cents per $1). Measure P expires in 5 years and includes independent financial audits and Independent Citizens Oversight. Sacramento politicians can't touch a dime.

Some of us didn't support Measure A in 2010, but now we're united on YES on P because we're sick of State money grabs. We want to ensure your taxpayer dollars stay LOCAL. Join us in voting YES on P!

SCOTT LARSEN
Bellflower City Council Member

SONNY SANTA INES
Bellflower City Council Member

RYAN VERWYS
Community Advocate

PAM LEESTMA
Teacher, Valley Christian School

RICK ROYSE
Taxpayer Advocate


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Created: December 17, 2012 13:44 PST
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