This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/la/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Los Angeles County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
Measure S
Vital City Services Protection and Fiscal Stability
City of Santa Fe Springs
Ordinance - Majority Approval Required

Pass: 2,462 / 60.70% Yes votes ...... 1,594 / 39.30% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures
Results as of Nov 24 2:18pm, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting (11/11)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

To maintain funding for City services including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, senior programs, youth/gang, drug, and crime prevention programs, street repairs, parks, ball fields, afterschool library programs, community centers and other City services, shall an ordinance be adopted to establish a 5% utility users tax, exempting low income seniors/residents, with annual audits, no tax increase without voter approval and no funds for Sacramento?

Impartial Analysis from City Attorney
The City Council of the City of Santa Fe Springs placed Measure S, which proposes a utility users' tax, on the November 2, 2010, election ballot for voter consideration. A utility users' tax is what is called a "general" tax, which means that tax revenue received by the City must be spent only on proper local government activities, and will be used to pay for City services and programs, such as the types of services and programs described in the Measure language.

At present, the City of Santa Fe Springs does not impose a utility users' tax. The proposed ordinance, if adopted, would create a 5% tax on certain types of utility services in the City. The utility services on which the proposed tax would be imposed are electricity, gas and communications. The tax would not be imposed on cable television charges.

Low income service users who are enrolled in a utility service provider's "CARE" program would be exempt from paying the tax on that utility service. The proposed tax measure also provides that no service user will have to pay more than $20,000 in tax for each individual type of utility service in any fiscal year; that maximum amount will be increased annually if there are increases in the Consumer Price Index, beginning in July of 2012.

For passage, a simple majority of all of the voters casting votes on the Measure must vote "YES".

Pursuant to State law, the City would not be able to raise the tax rate, or the maximums except for the inflationary adjustment explained above, without submitting any proposed increase to the voters for approval.

A "YES" vote is a vote for adoption of the ordinance creating the tax, with the specific provisions described above. A "NO" vote is a vote against creating the tax.

  
This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure S
Save our Services, Vote Yes on S! We need to keep our money in Santa Fe Springs to protect our quality of life, our services, and our community - we need Measure S.

You live in Santa Fe Springs because it offers a higher quality of life than other cities. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, Santa Fe Springs has been forced to make cutbacks to community services. Yes on S allows the City to continue important community events including the 4th of July fireworks display and celebrations that make our city a good place to live, work, and raise a family.

We've got to protect our kids from gangs and drugs. Without Measure S the city will be forced to make even more cuts to police, fire and 9-1-1 emergency response services. Measure S ensures continued anti-gang and anti-drug prevention programs for at-risk youth, after-school tutoring, mentoring and recreation programs that prevent students from dropping out, and keeps children off the streets, out of trouble and on the right path.

Voting Yes on S prevents severe cuts and maintains our essential services:
+ 9-1-1 emergency response times
+ Police officers patrolling neighborhoods, parks and schools
+ Firefighters and paramedics
+ After-school recreation programs for local youth
+ City streets, intersections, traffic flow, and congestion
+ Health, nutrition and transportation programs for local seniors
+ Library programs, including tutoring, homework assistance, and literacy programs
+ City parks, fields, community centers and the aquatic center

Yes on S gives Santa Fe Springs protected, reliable local control over local funds for local needs - No funds can be taken by Sacramento. Continuing Santa Fe Springs's fiscal accountability standard, Measure S requires citizen oversight, audits, and yearly reports to the community, and qualified low-income seniors and other low-income households will be exempt.

Join Firefighters, Seniors, and Community leaders in Supporting S for Santa Fe Springs's quality of life.

BETTY PUTNAM
Mayor of Santa Fe Springs

GUSTAVO R. VELASCO
Retired Mayor, Councilmember, Director of Community Services

ROBERT MORA
President of the Santa Fe Springs Firefighters Assoc.

C. GLORIA DURAN
Resident & Chairperson of the Senior Citizens Advisory Comm.

ALEX C. RODRIGUEZ
Fire Chief

(No arguments against Measure S were submitted)

Los Angeles Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: January 6, 2011 14:58 PST
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://cavotes.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.