El Monte, California, Sales Tax Extension, Measure EM (November 2017)
| Measure EM: El Monte Sales Tax Extension |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 7, 2017 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local sales tax Expires in: 10 years |
| Related articles |
| Local sales tax on the ballot November 7, 2017 ballot measures in California Los Angeles County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| El Monte, California |
A sales tax was on the ballot for El Monte voters in Los Angeles County, California, on November 7, 2017. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of renewing for ten years the local sales tax of 0.5 percent (half-cent) to fund general city services. |
| A no vote was a vote against renewing for ten years the local sales tax of 0.5 percent (half-cent) to fund general city services, thereby allowing the tax to expire in March 2019. |
Measure EM was designed to renew the local 0.5 percent sales tax in El Monte, maintaining a total sales tax rate of 10 percent. The state-mandated tax rate that applied throughout California as of 2017 is 7.25 percent, with revenue allocated to various purposes. As of October 1, 2017, Los Angeles County also levied a sales tax of 2.25 percent.[1][2] The average total sales tax rate throughout the county was 9.5 percent.[3]
Election results
| Measure EM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 2,187 | 69.49% | ||
| No | 960 | 30.51% | ||
- Election results from Los Angeles County Office of the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[4]
| “ |
To preserve and stabilize funding for various essential City services such as fire and emergency response services; police staffing; street maintenance; senior and youth programs; park maintenance; graffiti removal; State-mandated storm drain upgrades; and to restore the City’s “rainy day” general fund reserves, shall the City’s existing half percent (1/2%) transactions and use tax be extended for ten years, subject always to the voters’ power of repeal?[5] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the El Monte City Attorney:
| “ |
El Monte voters last approved the City of El Monte’s existing one-half of one percent (1/2%) transactions and use tax (“half-cent tax”) in November 2013. The half-cent tax is paid when people purchase goods from stores and businesses in the City. The half-cent tax expires March 31, 2019 unless a majority of El Monte voters approve Measure EM, the El Monte Temporary City Services Preservation Measure. Measure EM extends the half-cent tax by ten years to March 31, 2029. The tax generates approximately $4.2 million a year in revenues which are deposited into the City’s general fund. As general fund revenues, the tax revenues may be used to pay for various City services, including, but not limited to the funding of essential public services such as fire and emergency response services; police staffing; street maintenance; senior and youth programs; park maintenance; graffiti removal; and State-mandated storm drain upgrades. Revenues are also used to restore the City’s “rainy day” reserves. EXEMPTIONS: The half-cent tax does not apply to purchases of prescription medicines or the purchase of grocery store food basics like milk, meat, vegetables, bread, juices and the like. COLLECTION: The half-cent tax is paid together with the existing State sales tax and is collected in the same manner. The half-cent tax adds a half penny to a retail purchase of $1 or 50¢ to a $100 retail purchase. With the exception of those items that are exempted from the tax, the half-cent tax applies to most over-the-counter sales of tangible goods and as well as restaurant purchases. Non-City residents share in paying the tax for most over-the-counter retail purchases thereby helping to pay for their use of the City’s infrastructure and services. For automobile sales, the tax applies only if the vehicle is registered to a City address, regardless of whether the vehicle was purchased from a dealership located inside of the City or outside of the City. APPROVAL REQUIREMENT: Measure EM requires approval by a simple majority of El Monte voters. A “Yes” vote is a vote in favor of temporarily extending the half-cent tax for a period of ten years after March 31, 2019. SUNSET CLAUSE AND CITIZEN OVERSIGHT: Under Measure EM, the tax would expire automatically on March 31, 2029. El Monte voters also reserve the right to repeal the tax in the manner prescribed by law. Measure EM also preserves the mandatory citizen’s fiscal oversight committee which monitors the use of Measure EM revenues.[5] |
” |
| —El Monte City Attorney[6] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Measure EM was placed on the ballot by a unanimous vote of the city council on July 25, 2017. At the meeting, council members cited the city budget deficit at $4.7 million, according to a report by city staff.[7]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms El Monte Local sales tax Measure EM. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California state law caps the total sales tax rate at 10.25 percent. The full 2.25 percent county tax—last increased on October 1, 2017—is not effective in some cities in which the total sales tax rate was already 10.25 percent.
- ↑ Whittier Daily News, "Proposed Montebello sales tax measure will raise millions less than first anticipated," October 12, 2017
- ↑ InsideGov, "Hawthorne, Los Angeles County Sales Tax Rate," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Local and Municipal Consolidated Elections November 7, 2017," accessed September 22, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Los Angeles County Elections, "Sample Ballot/Polling Place Look Up," accessed September 23, 2017
- ↑ San Gabriel Valley Tribune, "El Monte residents to go to the polls in November to extend the half-cent tax," updated August 30, 2017
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