Watsonville telephone tax, Measure C, 2008
From Ballotpedia
The Watsonville telephone tax, Measure B was on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Santa Cruz County for voters in the city of Watsonville, where it was defeated.
The tax was designed to replace a five-year-old city-imposed fee on phones in homes and businesses for 911 services. The fee generates about $415,000 of the city's $1.2 million cost for emergency dispatch.
The question facing voters was:
- "Shall the City replace the existing 911 Emergency Response Fee now paid by Watsonville residents on City telephone land lines with a general tax on City telephone subscribers of the same amount of $2.05 per month? The tax would reduce future budget cuts and allow the City Council to provide additional funding to public safety including the 911 Emergency Center and other General Fund programs."
Measure C was defeated with 46.95% in favor.
Donations in favor
Measure C was defeated despite a significant amount of spending to try to get it passed. The Watsonville United Yes on C campaign spent over $15,000.
Over $2,000 of the "Yes on C" campaign money came from city officials.
City leaders believed the additional money was needed because they face a bill for a federally mandated but not federally funded upgrade of emergency communications equipment. The upgrade, called narrow-banding, is needed because the increasing use of electronics equipment is squeezing available radio frequencies. The cost of the project, which includes changing out equipment in the countywide dispatch center, as well as in individual law enforcement and emergency personnel jurisdictions, is estimated at $16 million to $18 million.
The largest donors to "Yes on C" were:
- Watsonville Police Officers Association, $1,000.
- Professional Firefighters Action Committee, $1,000.
- Pajaro Auto Sales, $1,000.
See also
- Santa Cruz County, California ballot measures
- California 2008 local ballot measures
- Other utility user taxes in California.
- California Utility User Taxes
External links
- Text of Measure C
- November 4, 2008 election results
- Campaign raises $15,800 to push phone tax measure
