27,702 / 44.7% Yes votes ...... 34,247 / 55.3% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Approval of Measure V also provides for the establishment of an independent Fremont taxpayers committee (the "Utility Users Taxpayers Oversight Committee") to review the amounts of revenue generated by the tax, review how the revenue is used by the City, and make recommendations to the City Council regarding the use of the tax revenues and the establishment of reductions to the tax.

If Measure V is approved by a majority of the voters, the revenue generated by the Ordinance will be placed in the City's General Fund and used for the general governmental purposes of the City, which include essential services such as police, fire, and street and park maintenance. In general, the Ordinance provides for the tax to be paid as a part of regular utility bills. However, the Ordinance also provides an option of paying the tax directly to the City, for direct purchasers of electricity, natural gas, or water. The Ordinance specifies penalties and interest on delinquent tax payments, appeal procedures for resolution of disputed taxes, and refund procedures for overpaid taxes. The City's Finance Director is authorized to enforce the Ordinance, and to issue administrative regulations consistent with the Ordinance. Administrative regulations may be issued in order to interpret and clarify the Ordinance, and to address changes in a utility's billing methods, or to address changes in state or federal law. For example, if federal law (which currently prohibits taxation of satellite television) changed, an Administrative regulation could be issued to allow a utility users tax on satellite television (as a "video" service).

The Ordinance was introduced by the City Council on July 13, 2004, and adopted by the City Council on July 27, 2004, subject to voter approval.

The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure V, and the proposed Utility Users Tax Ordinance No. 26- 2004. The definition of each utility service, and a description of how the tax is calculated and collected, is more particularly described in the Ordinance. If you desire a copy of the Ordinance, you may contact the City Clerk's Office (at: 3300 Capitol Avenue, Bldg. A, Fremont, California 94538; phone (510) 284-4060; or e-mail; cclerk@ci.fremont.ca.us), and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.

s/HARVEY E. LEVINE City Attorney

City of Fremont's Web page on Measure V

Click here then "Cable Programs" for Schedule of Cable Broadcasts of Interview of David Millican, Interim City Manager, Fremont by Alex Starr, co-President, League of Women Voters Fremont-Newark-Union City

They all help make Fremont a safe, clean place to live and raise a family.

Fremont's safety and appearance are now threatened. Budget cuts in essential community services have been made because the City's revenue has dramatically dropped over the last three years. Seizure of your local revenue by the state over the last dozen years exceeds $130,000,000, dangerously reducing our ability to pay for critical public safety services. We have far fewer police officers to respond to crime and other police calls, and to investigate, prevent and solve crimes. We have one less fire station, increasing response time when there is an emergency. Another station is closed periodically when there are not enough firefighters on duty to staff all the stations, making it even harder to respond to emergencies. All other city services have been reduced far more than these most critical services.

Fremont needs a locally controlled revenue source to restore essential public safety and maintenance services. The City Council is unanimous in asking Fremont voters to approve a Utility Users Tax so that we can provide adequate police officers, firefighters and properly maintain our streets and parks. Your property values, well being, personal and property safety, and maintenance of your streets and parks are all at stake.

Over 150 cities in the state of California have a Utility Users Tax.

The rate can never go above 6% and can be lowered at any time.

A Fremont Taxpayers Committee will be established to assure the funds are spent wisely and according to the wishes of the voters in the city.

For an average cost of only $15.78 per month, the city can look forward to a bright future. Vote YES to support the safety and maintenance of your community.

The Fremont City Council by

s/GUS MORRISON Mayor

s/CRAIG T. STECKLER Chief of Police

s/DANIEL T. LYDON Fire Chief (Retired)

s/JAMES L. REEDER, JR President, Glenmoor Realty, Inc.

s/GARRETT S. YEE Past President, Citizens for Better Community

The utility users tax will produce $24 million per year, while Fremont budget shortfall is only $8 million for two years. When will they stop the tax? Answer _ Never, it is a new source of money for the bureaucrats.

None of the other cities in southern Alameda County have a utility users tax. Why can they get along without one, but Fremont can't?

If there is a tax it should be spent on upgrading our utility services _ not going into the Fremont's general fund to be spent on any pet project the city council members or staff want.

Vote NO on Measure V.

s/JONELLE ZAGER Former Councilwoman

s/RICHARD AHERN Vice President, Waste Watchers Inc.

s/JOHN H. WEED

s/DR. RAKESH SHARMA City Council Candidate

s/KENNETH D. STEADMAN Former City Councilman

The State Legislature could be summed up in a few short phrases: "If it moves, Tax it." "If it keeps Moving, Regulate it," "if it stops Moving, Subsidize it!" Our State Legislature "steals" our Tax Money, and the cities are forced to ask for more local money in the form of "Utility Taxes"! This is a classic definition of Socialism, and we know that Socialism has failed miserably. "Those who feed out of the public trough are rapidly consuming those who fill the trough!"

This is something that Fremont city officials knew was coming. Yet Fremont continued to negotiate labor contracts with benefits richer than surrounding cities. These richer retirement benefits and pay packages mean higher escalating expenses to the taxpayers of Fremont. Since Proposition 13 passed in 1978, the "Tax and Spenders" have tried everything in the book to get around it. A "Utility Tax" is another "Scam"!

WOULD YOU DO BUSINESS WITH A LOAN SHARK? THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IN FREMONT IF WE PASS THE PROPOSED "UTILITY TAX" THIS NOVEMBER! VOTE "NO" ON MEASURE V, and tell the bank robbers in the Capitol dome we will no longer accept their failures!

WASTE WATCHERS, Inc.

s/KENNETH D. STEADMAN President, Waste Watchers Inc.

s/RICHARD AHERN Vice President, Waste Watchers Inc.

Blaming the State is correct and truthful. But, there is nothing for our residents to gain by jeopardizing Fremont's future because the State failed us. Measure V is a local source of revenue that cannot be taken away by the state. We will have a Taxpayers Committee to assure funds are spent as promised and that can recommend reductions in the tax. It would be the only source of revenue completely within our control. We have fewer police officers today than we had in 1991 and we've had a population increase of over 33,000, almost 3/4 the population of Newark. We have closed a fire station and a second is closed when there are too few firefighters on duty to minimize overtime costs. We have had to defer critical street maintenance that will damage our roads. We are not asking for MORE, we are simply asking to restore some of what was lost. Vote for the future safety of our City. VOTE YES ON MEASURE V.

s/SANDI PANTAGES Fremont Librarian, retired

s/YOGESH CHUGHI Fremont Library Advisory Commission Member

s/JACK ROGERS Retired Maintenance & Recreation Director

s/BERNADETTE BOCOBO CHINN Community Emergency Response Team and Police Dept. Volunteer

s/GUS MORRISON Retiring Mayor of Fremont