Measure X - Local Control/Public Safety
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Printable PDF of Measure X
Printable PDF of Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure X Printable PDF of Rebuttal to Argument For Measure X RESOLUTION NO. 2019-117 IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE X PREPARED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY Measure X was placed on the ballot by the Torrance City Council. This Measure, if approved by the Torrance voters, would raise revenue for general City purposes by authorizing a ¾ cent transfer and use tax ("sales tax") within Torrance. The tax is paid by purchasers of goods in Torrance that are subject to sales tax. The tax, however, would only be collected if a district such as the County of Los Angeles or other governmental entity ("District") places a sales tax measure on a ballot and would only continue to be collected if the District's sales tax measure was legally approved by a majority of District voters. Under current law, Measure X if passed would prevent a District from imposing a sales tax within Torrance and would instead result in the City collecting available sales tax revenues as explained below. The current sales tax in Torrance is 9.50%. The legal maximum rate for sales taxes currently is I 0.25%. Consequently, there is a maximum of .75% (or¾ cent) of sales tax that can potentially be imposed in Torrance. A District can impose taxes both within unincorporated areas and cities. If, however, a city already collects sales taxes up to the maximum I 0.25% rate, a District regional tax cannot be collected within that city. Measure X proposes to approve a .75% (or¾ cent) sales tax to potentially reach the maximum tax rate of I 0.25%. The Measure provides the tax is suspended upon passage and collection would commence only if a District places a regional sales tax measure on the ballot and continue to be collected if a District tax measure is approved by a majority of District voters. The approval of Measure X, would, under current law, provide for the City to receive the maximum sales tax available to be collected and prevent the District from imposing additional sales tax in the City. If Measure X is collected, as provided above, there is no sunset clause on the taxes passed by Measure X. However, all the taxes implemented by Measure X may be suspended or reduced by City Council action. Any increase of the tax above .75% (or ¾ cent) would first require a change in California law and then additional voter approval. Measure X would impose a "general tax." It is anticipated that if passed and collection is commenced, based upon the conditions outlined above, that it will generate approximately $30 million in annual City sales tax revenues. All tax revenue would be available for use by the City to pay for general City operations and services. The City would not be legally bound in any way to use the tax monies for any special purpose or for any particular facilities or programs. Since this ballot measure proposes a "general tax" rather than a "special tax," it requires approval by a simple majority of the City's voters. A YES vote on Measure X favors the Measure. A NO vote on Measure X opposes the Measure. Patrick Q. Sullivan City Attorney ARGUMENT FOR MEASURE X PREPARED BY JEREMY GERSON, TAD FRIEDMAN, MARIANNE HAMADA, ROBERT VANLINGEN, AND JEAN ADELSMAN KEEP FUTURE TORRANCE TAX MONEY IN TORRANCE . Vote YES on "X". YES on "X" maintains your LOCAL CONTROL over YOUR taxpayer dollars, for the services YOU need. Torrance is the fourth largest sales tax revenue generator in LA County. Yet our City only receives 13 cents for every dollar raised in the last two County sales tax measures. That is patently unfair! Torrance tax revenue should be used for essential local services and projects -where there is accountability. YES on "X" is Torrance's Taxpayer Protection Act-it isn't triggered unless regional politicians try to grab Torrance's local tax dollars first. YES on "X" gives you -the Torrance taxpayer -Local Control to protect our quality of life, by ensuring taxpayer dollars are kept IN TORRANCE to fund essential services we need, such as:
Every dime raised by Measure "X" is legally required to be spent in Torrance -preventing it from being taken by the County, Sacramento, Washington D.C. or other Southern California agencies. Here's what Measure "X" won't do:
Stop political money grabs, keep our tax dollars local, and maintain our City's financial stability and the services we rely on by voting YES on "X". For information about voting changes/how to vote, visit www.TorranceCA.Gov/LocalControl Jeremy Gerson School Board Member, Torrance Unified School District Tad Friedman Retired Torrance Paramedic/Firefighter Marianne Hamada President, North Torrance Neighborhood Association Robert VanLingen Torrance Business Owner -more than 40 years Jean Adelsman Homeowner Association Treasurer, 35-year Community Volunteer ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE X PREPARED BY MARK STEPHENSON, SPENCER DELA CRUZ, AND G. RICK MARSHALL DO NOT BE FOOLED. Measure X will INCREASE our sales tax. If passed, the moment any Los Angeles County regional agency qualifies any sales tax measure, the City of Torrance can collect Measure X sales tax, whether the regional measure passes or not. Sure, they must quit if the regional measure is defeated. They keep money. The City Council modifies the ordinance to continue the tax. Measure X is the "camel's nose" under the tent. SPENDING IS THE PROBLEM. Measure X supporters want you to believe it funds public safety or other essential City services; however, there are no guarantees on how the revenue· is spent. Police and fire consume 60% of our $322 million annual budget. Unfunded pension costs consume almost $1 out of every $4 of the city's budget. They currently total $460 million. The average pension benefit since 2004 is about $112,000 for firefighters and $108,000 for police. Some City employees make over $500,000 a year. REDUCE SPENDING INSTEAD OF RAISING TAXES. Save $25 million by "civilianizing" and reducing staff in the fire department. We have six fire stations operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staffed with seven firefighters each or 42 on-duty firefighters. Each firefighter works two 24-hour days with four off. Full coverage requires three teams of 42 firefighters each. Do we really need six fire stations to cover our 25 square mile city? SPENDING CUTS FIRST. Make spending cuts before increasing the sales tax. Alignment with other South Bay cities is not the goal. Being a leader is. A tax leader (and retail magnet) is the lowest retail sales tax. City sales tax revenues -a quarter of city income - are about $8 million below estimates now. Raising the sales tax is the wrong way to increase them. Please vote NO. zapthesalestaxhike.online Mark Stephenson Systems Engineer Spencer Dela Cruz Economic Development Professional G. Rick Marshall Chief Financial Officer, Taxpayers Action Network REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE X PREPARED BY PATRICK J. FUREY DON'T BE FOOLED (by those who argue against this measure) Measure "X" is an effort to protect tax revenues generated in Torrance from being used elsewhere. Measure "X" is Torrance's "Taxpayer Protection Act.'' It will not go into effect unless some other agency tries to enrich its coffers with Torrance Taxpayers' money. WHY MEASURE "X" IS IMPORTANT Three years ago County Measure "H" was passed by voters and a .25% sales tax has been collected since. In 2018, that .25% tax amounted to more than $12 million in revenue collected from Torrance consumers. Thus far, not one penny of that money has been returned to our city. The county dictates where those funds go. If the county - or any other taxing authority - raises our sales tax again, we can expect the same. If we do nothing to protect this revenue that is exactly what we will get. TORRANCE DOES NOT HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM The City of Torrance has a balanced budget - and has for more than 50 years. There is no need to cut spending for essential city services as the opponents to this measure suggest. Our citizens are proud that we are one of the safest cities of our size in all America. Our Police and Fire Departments are among the very best in our Nation. VOTE YES ON MEASURE "X" Mayor, City of Torrance Patrick J. Furey REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT FOR MEASURE X PREPARED BY MARK STEPHENSON, SPENCER DELA CRUZ, AND G. RICK MARSHALL Local Control and Public Safety are smoke screens to trick you into voting for Measure X. There's no guarantee the revenue will go to public safety. The City is not "legally bound" to use the revenue for any special purpose or facilities or programs. They tell you this tax increase is necessary to "fund essential services" Yet. nobody from the fire department. police department. or City Council signed supporting this measure. Measure X is about unsustainable pension debt and who will make good on the City's pension promises-and retiree health benefits. Raising taxes will not fix it. Spending cuts will. Our Council should follow the first rule of holes: When you're in one. stop digging. We lost Local Control when Council members and Mayors handed out gold plated pensions on Volkswagen budgets. Some retirees walked away with $250,000 annual pensions. Measure X is a bailout. This year City payroll is forecast to be $120 MILLION. The mid-year pension payment is $64 MILLION or 52% of CURRENT payroll. Over the last four (4) years. City pension payments have increased 70%. They are forecast to increase $5 to $8 MILLION annually for the next twelve (12) to sixteen (16) years. We're headed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile. Measure X has no sunset clause. Once in place, it never expires. It's forever. How do you fund your household budget? With a bailout? No, you cut spending. So should City Hall. Stop kicking the can down the road. Vote NO on Measure X. savetorrancenow.com Mark Stephenson Systems Engineer Spencer Dela Cruz Economic Development Professional G. Rick Marshall Chief Financial Officer, Taxpayers Action Network |
Measure X - Opposition
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