HomeMy WebLinkAbout4028
RESOLUTION NO. 4028
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ARCADIA OPPOSING THE ADOPTION OF
PROPOSITION 9, THE SO-CALLED WATSON PROPERTY
TAX INITIATIVE, WHICH WILL APPEAR ON THE
BALLOT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD
ON NOVEMBER 5, 1968.
WHEREAS, at the general election to be held November 5,
1968, Proposition 9 will appear on the ballot, which proposition is
the so-called Watson Property Tax Initiative;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA
DOES DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That the City Council recommends a "No" vote
on Proposition 9 for the following reasons:
1. The proposition is not a tax reform measure. For
example, it completely removes any and all forms of property tax
as a source of income for the support of all public schools through
the junior college level but does not provide any alternate source
of revenue for the support of such schools.
2. Schools will have to depend entirely upon revenue
from the State for their support. Home rule with respect to schools
would be virtually abolished since the State Legislature would de-
cide how much and where money should be spent for operation of
schools. Further, capital improvements for the City or schools,
financed by bonds, would be precluded.
3. The State; in order to maintain programs at their
present levels, would have to raise taxes annually an additional
Two and One-half Billion Dollars. Personal income tax and the
sales tax would be the probable source of this increase. The per-
sonal income tax would have to be increased by an over-all 300%, or
the sales tax raised to 12%, or some combination of a raise in
these two taxes.
-1-
4028
4. The measure is so drawn that "people-related services"
could include public libraries, parks, and recreation. This means
that adoption of the program could ultimately result in the extinc-
tion of publicly operated libraries, recreation and park facilities
or at least a vastly dimished level of service for these programs.
5. Adoption of the proposition would benefit apartment
house owners and other landlords, real estate speculators, and some
large land owners and developers. The average home owner would
receive no benefit since the loss of revenue which would result
from adoption of the proposition would be made up by increased State
taxes which would fall most heavily upon the average home owner.
6. The proposition is vague, ambiguous, and uncertain.
No provision is made for allocation of the property tax between
taxing agencies such as the State, the City, and the County. The
State could preempt the property tax and thus remove this as a source
for operation of any functions of local government. This, in turn,
would make local government dependent upon the State for income to
perform local functions; home rule would virtually cease to exist.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption
of this resolution.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was adopted
at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcadia held
on the l7th day of
september, 1968, by the affirmative vote of
at least three Councilmen:
AYES:
NOES:
,Councilmen Arth, Butterworth, Considine , Helms
and Hage
None
ABSENT: None
~ --
" - - -.
~f~~(~api~~
1968.
ia
/"
... ,
S~GNED-AND APPROVED
,~ .-, y
- ~ \,.~
/,
r,'
ATTES!l!:
~-.
/~
-.
F
Ci ty Clerk .' '::'
(SEALl.~ . ~_ ~-l~
7~5'
'-~::--:v---~'>\.\ .r
, ~ '
-2-
4028