Carson, California, Utility Tax Extension, Measure C (June 2016)
| Measure C: Carson Utility Tax Extension |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 7, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local utility tax and fees Expires in: 7 years |
| Related articles |
| Local utility tax and fees on the ballot June 7, 2016 ballot measures in California Los Angeles County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot California Utility User Taxes |
| See also |
| Carson, California |
A utility tax extension measure was on the ballot for Carson voters in Los Angeles County, California , on June 7, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of extending the city's 2 percent utility users tax on electricity and gas by seven years (until 2023). |
| A no vote was a vote against extending the city's 2 percent utility users tax on electricity and gas, allowing it to expire. |
City officials estimated the annual revenue this tax would provide to be about $8.5 million per year, which amounts to about 12 percent of the city's annual budget.[1]
In March 2015, Carson city voters rejected a more ambitious measure to extend the city's utility tax indefinitely and apply it to other services, such as water, tv, and telephone services by a margin of about 52-48.
Election results
| Carson, Measure C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 13,076 | 69.46% | ||
| No | 5,748 | 30.54% | ||
- Election results from Los Angeles County Elections
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[2]
| “ |
Shall Ordinance 16-1580, which extends the existing 2% Utility Users Tax on electricity & gas by seven years to June 30, 2023, to raise approximately $8.5 million annually, to continue basic and essential services for residents, including but not limited to, law enforcement, gang intervention programs, graffiti removal, youth and senior programs, sidewalk and street repair, City special events, and public parks staffing, while exempting senior and low-income households, be adopted?[3] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Carson City Attorney:
| “ |
Measure C, if passed by the voters, extends the existing Utility Users' Tax ("UUT") of two percent (2%) on gas and electric utilities for seven years through Ordinance No. 16-1580. The proposed UUT extension will not be collected for water, telephone or cable utilities. The existing UUT raises approximately $8 million annually for the City. More than 80% of this revenues comes from commercial and industrial consumers. The UUT paid by city residents is estimated on average to be about $3.00 - $5.00 monthly. Exempt from the UUT are residential customers who are 62 years or older and "lower income" households. Measure C was placed on the ballot by the unanimous vote of the City Council because the City continues to experience a fiscal emergency. There is an existing and immediate funding crisis, primarily resulting from the uneven and slow recovery from the Great Recession, unpredictable decreases in revenues, the continued State takeaways of local revenues, and unforeseen increases in the City's operational costs. The existing UUT comprises approximately 12% of the City's general fund budget. If Measure C is approved, all funds are deposited into the City's general fund. Historically, the largest expenditure from the general fund is contracting for law enforcement services, including the park teams and gang intervention, provided by L.A. County Sheriffs Department. Other typical expenditures include youth and senior programs, street and sidewalk repair, staffing parks, graffiti removal, construction and maintenance of public parks and facilities, city recreational and park programs, the stroke center, and city special events. If the UUT is not extended then the City's financial ability to sustain these local services and maintain and repair vital infrastructure will be significantly eroded. An extended 2% UUT rate for Carson will continue to be lower than surrounding cities with UUTs, including: Los Angeles, 10%; Inglewood 10%; Compton, 10%; Torrance, 6.5%; Hermosa Beach, 6%; Lawndale 5.5%; Long Beach, 5%; and, Hawthorne, 5%. Measure C continues the citizens' oversight committee which receive reports from the City's Tax Administrator and make recommendations to the City Council. This committee will continue to provide oversight recommendations to the City Council. A "Yes" vote means you support extending by seven years the 2% UUT on electric and natural gas utilities. A "No" vote means you oppose extending by seven years the 2% UUT on electric and natural gas utilities. This measure would take effect only if a majority of those voting on this ballot measure cast a "Yes" vote at the June 7, 2016 special municipal election. The UUT would end seven (7) years from the date of its enactment (or in 2023) unless extended by another vote of the voters of Carson. [3] |
” |
| —Carson City Attorney[1] | ||
The following video explaining Measure C was provided by the city of Carson:
| Measure C (UUT) on the June 7 Ballot - City of Carson, CA |
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a unanimous vote of the Carson City Council.
Related measures
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Carson Local utility tax and fees Measure C. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Additional reading
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Carson City, "City Attorney Impartial Analysis for Measure C," accessed May 20, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar, "Presidential Primary June 7, 2016 Measures Appearing on the Ballot," accessed May 20, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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