Atwater, California, Measure A, Marijuana Tax (November 2018)
| Measure A: Atwater Marijuana Tax |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 6, 2018 |
| Status: |
 Approved
|
| Topic: |
| Local marijuana tax |
| Related articles |
| Local marijuana tax on the ballot November 6, 2018 ballot measures in California Merced County, California ballot measures Local business tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Atwater, California |
A local marijuana tax was on the ballot for Atwater voters in Merced County, California, on November 6, 2018. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of allowing the city to impose a 15 percent tax on marijuana businesses. |
| A no vote was a vote against allowing the city to impose a 15 percent tax on marijuana businesses. |
Election results
|
Atwater Measure A |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
4,445 | 65.27% | ||
| No | 2,365 | 34.73% | ||
-
- Results are officially certified.
- Source
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall the measure adopting an ordinance authorizing the City Council of the City of Atwater to impose a business license tax at a rate of up to fifteen percent (15%) of gross receipts on cannabis businesses and dispensaries, to help fund general municipal services, be adopted?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Atwater City Attorney:
| “ |
Measure A has been placed on the ballot by the Atwater City Council. Measure A, if approved, would authorize the City Council to impose a business license tax of up to fifteen percent (15%) of the gross receipts of any cannabis-related business. The legalization of cannabis for recreational or other non-medicinal use was approved by California voters at the November 8, 2016, statewide election. On May 14, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 996 thereby authorizing commercial cannabis in the City within specified zoning districts. The City’s cannabis ordinance authorizes commercial cannabis cultivation, dispensaries, manufacturing, distribution, and testing laboratories, subject to obtaining a conditional use permit and a development agreement from the City. If Measure A is adopted by the City’s voters on November 6, 2018, the City Council will be authorized, but not required, to impose a business license tax on cannabis businesses. Cannabis businesses include all entities engaged in the commercial cultivation, distribution and exchange of cannabis, whether for medicinal or non-medicinal reasons. The tax would not apply to those cannabis businesses that have entered into a development agreement with the City. Measure A also authorizes the City Manager to establish procedures for collecting tax and authorizes the Finance Director to audit any business engaged in commercial cannabis activity. The City will also establish penalties and fines to enforce the payment of the cannabis business license taxes. The proposed cannabis business license tax is a general tax because the revenues would be deposited into the City’s general fund for general municipal services, such as improving the City’s streets and sidewalks, and funding public safety services. Under the California Constitution, general taxes must be approved by a majority vote of the City’s electorate. A 'YES' vote, by a majority of the voters, would approve proposed amendments to the Atwater Municipal Code to establish a business license tax of up to 15 percent of the gross receipts of cannabis businesses in Atwater. A 'NO' vote would disapprove proposed amendments to the Atwater Municipal Code to authorize the City Council to establish a business license tax of up to 15 percent to be paid by cannabis businesses in Atwater.[2] |
” |
| —Atwater City Attorney[3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Atwater, California.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Merced County, "Measure A Question," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Merced County, "Measure A Impartial Analysis," accessed September 19, 2018
| |||||
