Farmersville, California, Marijuana Tax, Measure Q (November 2017)
| Measure Q: Farmersville Marijuana Tax |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 7, 2017 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local marijuana tax |
| Related articles |
| Local marijuana tax on the ballot November 7, 2017 ballot measures in California Tulare County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Farmersville, California |
A marijuana tax measure was on the ballot for Farmersville voters in Tulare County, California, on November 7, 2017. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of authorizing the city to levy a local tax on marijuana businesses at a maximum rate of 10 percent of gross receipts or $25 per sqaure foot, with revenue deposited into the city's general fund and with no automatic sunset date. |
| A no vote was a vote against authorizing the city to levy a local tax on marijuana businesses at a maximum rate of 10 percent of gross receipts or $25 per sqaure foot, with revenue deposited into the city's general fund and with no automatic sunset date. |
Measure Q was designed to levy a tax on potential marijuana businesses in Farmersville. City officials estimated that revenue from Measure Q could range from $500,000 to $3.5 million yearly.
Election results
| Measure Q | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 242 | 65.41% | ||
| No | 128 | 34.59% | ||
- Election results from Tulare County Elections
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall Ordinance No. 484 be adopted authorizing a commercial cannabis business tax in the City of Farmersville on commercial cannabis businesses up to $25 per square foot (annually adjusted by CPI) or 10% of gross receipts, to maintain essential public safety and general City services including, but not limited to, police, drug addiction and gang prevention, park maintenance, street maintenance for Farmersville residents, generating undetermined revenue, potentially $500,000 to $3.5 million annually, until repealed?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Farmersville City Counsel:[3]
| “ |
In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64 which, among other things, decriminalized the use, sale and cultivation of non-medicinal cannabis by adults and set a maximum cultivation allowance for non-medicinal cannabis. Proposition 64 also authorized local control over land uses involving non-medicinal cannabis. The City anticipates enactment of zoning standards and regulations, which would govern those types of land uses, prior to January 1, 2018. Upon voter approval of Measure Q, Ordinance No. 484 would authorize the City of Farmersville (“City”) to levy an excise tax on the privilege of conducting a commercial cannabis business within the City. In order for the tax to be approved, a majority vote of the qualified voters of the City voting on this measure must vote in favor of the measure. Measure Q would impose a business tax on every person engaged in a commercial cannabis business within the City, without regard to whether it is medicinal or nonmedicinal cannabis. The maximum tax rate would be up to the greater of either: (i) $25.00 per square foot of business areas, annually adjusted upward based upon the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) for all urban consumers in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose areas; or (ii) 10% of gross receipts per fiscal year. The City Council would be authorized to adopt a resolution implementing a tax rate which is lower than the maximum tax rate and may, by unanimous resolution of the entire Council, temporarily suspend collection of the tax. Measure Q is a general tax under state law and, if enacted by the voters, the revenues received from the tax must be placed in the City’s general fund and may be used in any lawful purpose, as directed by the City Council, including but not limited to addressing cannabis industry impacts and/or maintaining and/or improving: 9- 1-1 emergency response and neighborhood police patrols; fire protection services; streets and roads repairs; support of senior and youth services; city parks; recreation programs; and any other city services for Farmersville residents and the public. If this measure is approved by the voters, Ordinance No. 484 shall be adopted by the City Council on the date the City Council declares the election results. The ordinance will become effective (10) ten days thereafter but the tax shall not be levied until the City Council has adopted a resolution setting an effective tax rate and implementing the tax. This measure was added to the ballot by the City Council and makes no change to existing laws but will add to existing laws a citywide ordinance imposing a commercial cannabis business tax within the City of Farmersville. The electors entitled to vote on this measure are the registered voters within City of Farmersville. If the measure is not approved by a majority vote of the votes cast on the measure, the measure will fail and the tax will not be imposed.[2] |
” |
| —Farmersville City Counsel | ||
Support
Supporters
Mayor Paul Boyer supported the measure and prepared the official argument.
Arguments in favor
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[3]
| “ |
Vote Yes on Measure Q, the City of Farmersville Cannabis Business Tax. You, the taxpayer, have borne the cost of addressing the negative impacts of illegal cannabis operations for far too long. Taxpayers have had to fully fund the rising costs of police, fire, emergency medical, code enforcement and other public services, without contributions from cannabis businesses. It’s time for the cannabis industry to pay its fair share of taxes to mitigate these and other adverse secondary impacts. Measure Q is simple: If an authorized commercial cannabis business operates within the City limits, that business would contribute its fair share to the funding of vital public services such as police, fire, roads and parks and recreation. Measure Q would provide funds to implement strict standards, regulations and location requirements for cannabis businesses. Too many unregulated cannabis operations have burdened vital public resources and increased crime. Revenue from this tax will protect our vital public services and finally help put an end to these illegal operations. The children of our City are our most important asset. Implementing this tax will fund recreation activities for them and contribute to clean, healthy and safe neighborhoods throughout our community Since there is no guarantee that State tax revenue from cannabis sales will fund any local services, it is necessary to secure our own funding through this tax measure. All revenue collected from Measure Q will stay local to maintain important and essential City services. Help eliminate illegal cannabis operations and ensure the cannabis industry operates legally and contributes positively to the quality of life in the City of Farmersville. Please join us in voting Yes on Measure Q.[2] |
” |
| —Paul Boyer | ||
Opposition
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Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a 4-1 vote of the Farmersville City Council on July 24, 2017.[4]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Farmersville Local marijuana tax Measure Q. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tulare County Elections Office, "November 7, 2017 - Tulare County Elections: Measure Submitted to the Voters," accessed September 22, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tulare County Elections Office, "Voter’s Pamphlet Information Section," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ The Sun-Gazette, "Council puts cannabis, ½-cent sales tax on ballot," August 2, 2017
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