Pasadena City Council Monday, July 13, unanimously voted to direct the creation of a parcel tax measure for the November general election ballot that if passed would help fund fire department improvements.
During the meeting, Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth presented a number of potential ballot measure options that included a sales tax, real property transfer tax, parking tax, business tax and parcel tax.
“We have become largely dependent on one-time revenues,” Hawkesworth said. “So we need to identify ways to fund things with ongoing revenues moving forward.”
The estimated annual revenue from a parcel tax would be about $30 million, according to Hawkesworth. If placed on the November ballot, it would need 2/3 of the vote to pass.
Hawkesworth, along with members of the council, acknowledged that it will take considerable effort in the short time before a measure appeared on the ballot to garner enough public support for passage.
“The sense that we have is that getting two-thirds approval for any measure will be a challenge,” Hawkesworth said.
Last year, Fire Chief Chad Augustin presented a $227 million development plan for the department that would span 10 years and includes a new fire station and the rebuilding of two fire stations as just some of the needed investment.
“I’ve stated my extreme reluctance to wade into this at this late date, but I also believe, as all of you do, that this is a matter of life and death, a matter of public safety,” Councilmember Rick Cole said.
City Council has until early August to formally approve the measure and ballot language for it to be submitted to Los Angeles County in time to be placed on the November ballot.
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