Fail: 10,732 / 44.82% Yes votes ...... 13,212 / 55.18% No votes

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Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

The voter wants to adopt the utility users tax

A NO vote on this measure means:

The voter does not want to establish such a tax, which will result in the City not obtaining the revenue that the tax would provide

A "yes" vote is a vote to adopt the utility users tax. If the measure passes, the utility users tax will be established, levied and administered by means of a city ordinance in the form introduced by the Hemet City Council on July 29, 2008 adding new Article V ("Utility Users Tax") of Chapter 74 ("Taxation"). The tax will be levied on a communication, electricity, gas, water, and sewer ("utilities") services provided to users of the services within the City except for electricity generated for self-use by solar power which will be temporarily exempted from the tax for 6 years, unless the exemption is extended by the City Council or the voters. Communication services include, but are not limited to, telephone, cellular phone, cable television, satellite television, and video-on-demand services.

Upon passage of the measure and adoption of the ordinance, utility users will be required to pay the tax to their utility provider, who will then remit the funds to the City of Hemet. Users who directly produce gas and electricity or purchase these services from a provider not under the City's jurisdiction shall pay the tax to the City directly. The ordinance authorizes the City's Finance Director to develop and enforce procedures to administer this law. Appeals of the Finance Director's decisions may be made to the City Manager. The city may take legal action to enforce the law.

The ordinance exempts from paying the tax low income seniors, defined as persons 65 years of age or older qualifying as persons who are very low income or below as published annually in the State's Official State Income Limits for Riverside County, and other persons or entities who are exempted by virtue of other laws. The maximum tax rate is 5% which cannot be raised by the City Council without submittal of the increase to the voters, but the tax rate may be temporarily reduced by City Council.

A "no" vote is a vote not to establish such a tax, which will result in the City not obtaining the revenue that the tax would provide.

The above statement is an impartial analysis of the Measure to Establish a 5 Percent Utility Users Tax Within the City of Hemet. The definition of each utility service and a description of how the tax is calculated and collected are more particularly described in the ordinance. If you desire a copy of the ordinance, please contact the City Clerk's office at 445 E. Florida Ave., Hemet, CA 92543, phone number (951) 765-2307, and a copy will be sent at no cost to you. In addition, you can read the complete text of the ordinance on the City's web site.

By: City Attorney

City of Hemet

Municipal Code

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