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Smart Voter
Sacramento County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Measure U
Essential Services Funded by Temporary Sales Tax
City of Sacramento
Majority Approval Required

Pass: 88,733 / 64.14% Yes votes ...... 49,608 / 35.86% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures
Results as of Nov 30 4:14pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (347/347)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

City of Sacramento Essential Services Protection Measure "To restore and protect essential public safety services, including 9-1-1 response, police officers, gang/youth violence prevention, fire protection/emergency medical response, and other essential services including park maintenance, youth/senior services, and libraries, shall the City enact a one-half cent sales tax for six years with all revenue legally required to stay in the City's General Fund, none for the State, with independent annual financial audits and citizen oversight?"

Impartial Analysis from Sacramento City Attorney
Measure U, if approved by a majority of the voters, would enact an ordinance that provides for a ½-cent tax on each dollar of taxable sales of goods within the City of Sacramento, and on the taxable storage, use, or consumption in the city of goods purchased from a retailer. This is commonly referred to as a "sales tax" and technically referred to as a "transactions and use tax."

As a general tax, the revenues would be deposited into the city's general fund and could be used for any municipal government purpose, including police and fire services, 911 response, park maintenance, gang and youth violence prevention, youth services, senior services, libraries, and other programs.

The ½-cent tax would be in addition to the existing sales tax, and would be collected at the same time and in the same manner as the existing sales tax. Currently, the combined state and local sales tax rate in the City of Sacramento is 7.75%. If this measure is approved by the voters, the combined rate would be 8.25%.

If approved, the ½-cent tax would go into effect on April 1, 2013, and expire on March 31, 2019. After that time, the 1-cent tax authorized by this measure would no longer be imposed.

The revenues resulting from this tax would be subject to the same independent annual audit as other general fund revenue.

Additionally, the ordinance requires the establishment of a citizens oversight committee to review the revenue and expenditure of funds from the tax.

State law authorizes the city to levy this ½-cent tax following approval of the ordinance by two-thirds of the city council and a majority of the voters voting on the issue. The Sacramento City Council approved the ordinance on July 24, 2012.

A "yes" vote is in favor of approving the ordinance establishing the tax. A "no" vote is against approving the ordinance establishing the tax.

Sandra G. Talbott Interim City Attorney

   City of Sacramento

Ballot Measure Information
News and Analysis

The Sacramento Bee

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Arguments For Measure U
Vote Yes on Measure U to restore and protect vital public safety programs. Over the past few years, Sacramento has already cut over $100 million. Without additional revenue we will be forced to make even deeper cuts.

Vote Yes on U to restore 9-1-1 response times and bring them closer to the national standards. Since 2008 Sacramento has cut over $35 million from the police department and lost over 125 officers.

Today only 8% of home burglaries are investigated. Community policing, narcotics units, gang units and traffic safety teams have been cut or eliminated. Measure U will restore these critical services.

Vote Yes on U to ensure that all our fire engines are fully staffed and operational seven days a week. Sacramento has continued to grow and call volume has increased 220% since 1985.

Unfortunately, budget cuts have reduced our fire department staffing to pre-1980 levels. Measure U will increase fire protection and reduce response times.

Vote Yes on U to help keep our neighborhoods safe by restoring gang prevention programs and after school programs that target at-risk youth. Youth services have been cut, sport camps and youth employment programs eliminated, U will help restore these programs and keep community centers open.

Park staff and services have been cut in half. Measure U will restore community centers, senior centers, pools and libraries.

Measure U will help Sacramento maintain parks and keep facilities clean. Measure U is a temporary tax that expires after six years and requires independent audits to ensure that these funds are spent as promised.

Vote Yes on Measure U to ensure that our local tax dollars stay in our community.

Please join community leaders, small businesses, police officers, firefighters and neighborhood groups and vote Yes on U to restore key services and stabilize our city.

s/Rick Braziel, Sacramento Police Chief
s/Ray Jones, Sacramento Fire Chief
s/Araceli Mercado, Sacramento Parks Commissioner
s/Mark Abrahams, Community Activist / Land Park Resident
s/Randall Selland, Small Business Owner / Restaurateur

(No arguments against Measure U were submitted)

Full Text of Measure U
Ballot Pamphlet with Full Text http://smartvoter.org/2012/11/06/ca/sac/measureu.pdf

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Created: December 17, 2012 13:46 PST
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