Gonzales, California, Medical Marijuana Tax, Measure W (November 2016)
| Measure W: Gonzales Medical Marijuana Tax |
|---|
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local marijuana tax |
| Related articles |
| Local marijuana tax on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Monterey County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Gonzales, California |
A medical marijuana tax was on the ballot for Gonzales voters in Monterey County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of imposing a tax of $25 per square foot on marijuana cultivators and 15 percent on the annual gross receipts of marijuana manufacturers. |
| A no vote was a vote against this proposal to impose a tax of $25 per square foot on marijuana cultivators and 15 percent on the annual gross receipts of marijuana manufacturers. |
Election results
| Measure W | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 1,439 | 72.46% | ||
| No | 547 | 27.54% | ||
- Election results from Monterey County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall the City of Gonzales Municipal Code be amended to add a “Commercial Cannabis Tax” on cultivation and manufacturing of medical marijuana where permissible by state and local law? The cultivation tax will not exceed $25 per square foot subject to increases after the third year based on the consumer price index, while the manufacturing tax shall not exceed 15% of annual gross receipts, both with no termination date, generating estimated revenues of $1,365,000?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Gonzales City Attorney:
| “ |
By way of actions taken on January 19 and July 5, 2016, the Gonzales City Council adopted ordinances adding Chapter 12.144 to the Gonzales City Code that permit, limit and regulate the cultivation, processing and manufacturing of medical marijuana (cannabis) within the Gonzales Agricultural Industrial Business Park. The City Code currently does not contain provisions that establish a tax for conducting cannabis business. Since this is a new type of business in the City, a tax specifically applicable to cannabis businesses must be approved by the voters. On July 18, the City Council approved an ordinance and resolution placing Measure W on the November 8, 2016 Consolidated Statewide Election ballot. Measure W, if adopted by the voters, would approve an ordinance adding new Chapter 4.64 to the City Code imposing a commercial cannabis tax on all cannabis cultivation and manufacturing businesses that operate in the City. The ordinance authorizes the City to charge an initial tax of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per square foot of space dedicated to cannabis cultivation, with the ability to raise this tax after three years up to a maximum of $25.00 per square foot. Commencing in 2020, the cultivation tax is subject to annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. The ordinance also establishes an initial tax rate of five percent (5%) of the annual gross receipts of cannabis manufacturing activities, with the ability to raise the rate after three years to a maximum of fifteen percent (15%) of gross receipts. The involved square foot and gross receipts taxes will be imposed on cannabis businesses and will not be a sales tax imposed on qualified patients, primary caregivers, or other persons who purchase or otherwise acquire cannabis for personal use. All cannabis tax revenue will be deposited in the City’s General Fund, and can be used to pay for the provision of municipal services, including essential services such as police, fire safety, recreation, park and road maintenance, and youth programs. It is estimated that the tax will generate revenues of $1,365,000. Because the proposed Commercial Cannabis Tax would be imposed for general municipal governmental purposes, the ballot measure proposes a “general tax” as defined by Article XIII of the California Constitution. Accordingly, for the ballot measure to be adopted, it must receive a simple majority (over 50%) of yes votes. A “yes” vote on Measure W is a vote to establish a new Commercial Cannabis Tax. A “no” vote is a vote against the establishment of the tax. A full copy of the proposed ordinance is printed in this ballot pamphlet or available from the City.[2] |
” |
| —Gonzales 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 Gonzales, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Gonzales Local marijuana tax. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Notice of Local Measures," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Voter Guide," accessed October 24, 2016
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