Mendota, California, Parcel Tax, Measure A (August 2017)
| Measure A: Mendota Parcel Tax |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| August 29, 2017 |
| Status: |
 DefeatedMajority required: 66.67% |
| Topic: |
| California parcel tax Expires in: No expiration |
| Related articles |
| California parcel tax on the ballot August 29, 2017 ballot measures in California Fresno County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Mendota, California |
A parcel tax measure was on the ballot for Mendota voters in Fresno County, California, on August 29, 2017. It was defeated.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of imposing an annual parcel tax—a kind of property tax based on units of property rather than assessed value—to support local law enforcement activities. The proposed tax amounts were $400 per unit of multi-family or apartment residences, $500 per unit of all other developed parcels, $100 per unit of developed parcels for senior citizens, $50 per unit of undeveloped parcels for senior citizens, and $100 per unit of all other undeveloped parcels. |
| A no vote was a vote against imposing an annual parcel tax to support local law enforcement activities. The proposed tax amounts were $400 per unit of multi-family or apartment residences, $500 per unit of all other developed parcels, $100 per unit of developed parcels for senior citizens, $50 per unit of undeveloped parcels for senior citizens, and $100 per unit of all other undeveloped parcels. |
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure A.
Election results
| Measure A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| No | 176 | 67.95% | ||
| Yes | 83 | 32.05% | ||
- Election results from Fresno County Elections
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
To support local law enforcement activities, shall an ordinance be adopted imposing an annual special parcel tax amounting to: (i) $400/unit upon developed multi-family residences or apartments; (ii) $500/unit upon all other developed parcels; (iii) $100/unit upon developed parcels for senior citizens; (iv) $50/unit upon undeveloped parcels for senior citizens; and (v) $100/parcel for all other undeveloped parcels?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Mendota City Attorney:
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On May 23, 2017, the City Council of the City of Mendota ("City"), adopted Resolution 17-31, submitting a ballot measure ("Measure A") to the voters at a special all mail ballot municipal election to be held on August 29, 2017. Measure A provides for the adoption of an ordinance providing for the levy of an annual special parcel tax at the following rates: (i) $400 per unit upon developed multi-family residences or apartments; (ii) $500 per unit upon all other developed parcels; (iii) $100 per unit upon developed parcels for senior citizens; (iv) $50 per unit upon undeveloped parcels for senior citizens; and (v) $100 per parcel for all other undeveloped parcels. The special parcel tax will be assessed to the owner of each parcel of real property within the City, unless the owner is exempt from taxation, in which case, the special parcel tax imposed will be assessed to the holder of the possessory interest in such parcel, unless such holder is also by law exempt from taxation. The special parcel tax will be levied annually commencing in 2018, and continue in perpetuity. Because some City residents within Community Facilities District 2006-1 presently pay special taxes on property for the purpose of providing police protection services that would be duplicative of the fees collected under the Measure, the City intends, upon enactment of the Measure, to dissolve Community Facilities District 2006-1 The special parcel tax contemplated under Measure A is expected to generate an additional $500,000-$1,000,000 in revenue. Funds received from Measure A will be strictly used to fund local law enforcement activities. Proceeds of the special parcel tax will be deposited in a special account, created and maintained by the City, and used for the specific purposes identified in the Ordinance. A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of authorizing the special parcel tax. A "no" vote is a vote against authorizing the special parcel tax.[2] |
” |
| —Mendota City Attorney[3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[4]
- Oscar Rosales, council member
- Jesse Mendoza, council member
- Robert Silva, council member
- Victor Martinez, mayor pro tem
- Rolando Castro, mayor
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[4]
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Mendota is a small rural community that faces ongoing challenges attracting and keeping new businesses. This has a negative impact on the City's budget and limits the City's ability to compete with larger cities for new officers. Mendota has the lowest paid police force in Fresno County. Unfortunately, many of Mendota's officers leave the department for higher pay in other areas of Fresno County. By 2022, the California Minimum Wage will be $15.00 per hour. This will result in additional pressure on Mendota's budget to pay its police officers an adequate salary. Without an increase in revenues, Mendota will not be able to adequately staff the police department and runs the risk of losing the Mendota Police Department entirely, which would likely result in an increase in crime and the City being forced to contract with the Fresno County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services. In the past year, Mendota has also experienced an increase in violent crimes associated with criminal gangs, making it more important than ever that the City have a strong, vibrant police department to help keep the citizens of Mendota safe. Measure A asks property owners to pay a special parcel tax to ensure the viability of the Mendota Police Department. Although the additional payments would be small, Measure A would generate an additional $1,000,000 in revenue for the Mendota Police Department. Measure A requires that the money received from the tax may only be used for local law enforcement activities. Measure A would also replace existing special taxes for police protection services. This means property owners already paying special taxes for police services would get a tax cut. Let's keep the Mendota Police Department independent, viable, and strong. Vote "YES" on Measure A. [2] |
” |
Opposition
No official arguments were submitted for inclusion in the voter guide in opposition to Measure A. Please send any information about opposition to Measure A to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a unanimous vote of the Mendota City Council on May 23, 2017.[1]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fresno County Registrar of Voters, "Resolution No. 17-31, 17-32," accessed July 21, 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.
- ↑ Fresno County Registrar of Voters, "Impartial Analysis of Measure A," accessed July 21, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fresno County Registrar of Voters, "Argument in Favor of Measure A," accessed August 1, 2017
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