CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe received direction from the Clearlake City Council on Thursday to move forward with a sales tax measure to focus primarily on code enforcement for the November ballot.
A proposal for a half-cent specific tax reflecting other directions provided by the council is to be prepared and presented for consideration at a future meeting.
The Clearlake City Council has been hashing out details concerning how to proceed with any potential tax measure since the narrow defeat of a measure for road improvements and code enforcement/animal control in the November 2013 election, with a similar measure failing the year before.
Discussions have focused on the type of tax – whether specific or general; the amount to be sought; and whether or not road improvements should be divided or eliminated from the proposal and perhaps sought in the future.
Such topics were discussed at previous council meetings as well as during a town hall meeting held in April, for which Phillipe shared survey results in her Thursday report.
Numbers showed to be in favor of moving forward with a tax initiative and participation showed that the majority of those who participated in the town hall supported presenting the measure as a specific tax.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she wasn't “too keen on a general tax” but favored a specific tax proposal. She also said she would prefer to see the measure split.
Survey results from the town hall were identical on that question. However, preference for “code enforcement and animal control” was double that of the categories of “roads” and “crime suppression.”
Ballot costs would increase if the measure were to be split, Phillipe said in response to a question from Councilman Joey Luiz.
“I think a half-cent for code enforcement would make a big difference. The roads are another issue,” he said, adding he intended to wait to hear from the public before commenting further.
While there was consensus to proceed with the measure as a specific tax, Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson said discussion of a general tax was warranted for one reason – that the opportunity to place a general tax on the ballot is limited.
Such measures may only be submitted in an election that includes seats for council. She said it will be two more years before the opportunity returns.
Fortino Dickson “brought up a good point, but I think if we write it properly, it will be voted for,” Mayor Denise Loustalot said, referring to other areas of the discussion, which included appointment of an oversight committee, an appropriate expenditure plan and consideration of a sunset clause.
All members of the council were in favor of a 10-year sunset clause with the exception of Councilwoman Jeri Spittler, who suggested it be five years. She also said she preferred a quarter-cent initiative.
According to Phillipe, a half-cent tax would generate approximately $700,000 annually.
Discussion of the sunset clause led the council to include in its directions to staff a recommendation similar to that offered by District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith. He suggested the tax be reduced to a quarter-cent after the first five years.
Overton supported the idea, indicating a document written properly could provide the council with criteria for reducing the tax should specific findings support the action.
Chuck Leonard, resident and former council member, said while a specific tax has failed three times, it was highly supported.
“A general tax won't pass,” he said, before turning his comments toward Spittler, who earlier in the discussion had referred to a previous council's decision to eliminate code enforcement, calling it “insanity.”
Leonard said a lack of money led to the decision. “You've been up there for four years; you haven't brought it back,” he said.
“The road issue, I think we need to forget about that for now,” Mike Vandiver, who was active in the support of the previous tax measure, said.
He suggested the council seek a half-cent specific tax for code enforcement and animal control “task force,” a term which caused debate in definition initiated by Spittler.
A team concept, which may or may not include a support officer from the police department, also was entered into the discussion.
Spittler said if the tax is going to fund a task force under the police department, then why not specify funds will pay the salary of one officer? “Call a spade, a spade,” she said.
Fortino Dickson said she saw no point in specifying funds for a “police officer” when one of the reasons cited for not pursuing a general tax is because an existing measure already requires 63 percent of the general fund be allocated to the police department.
The needs of the program are likely to change, she said, and while the need for a police officer may exist in the beginning, program needs may change.
Fortino Dickson said the proposal should be written in such a way that allows for best operation in compliance with an voter approved expenditure plan.
Clearlake resident Stacy Martin said he didn't care how much the tax was, he would support it.
Martin addressed the council earlier during public comment, with a complaint regarding the hazards of an abandoned trailer across from his residence.
He said he recently moved to Clearlake from Santa Rosa and his family will not come and visit him because of the blight.
“I will volunteer,” he said, insisting some course of action must be taken.
Smith said property values have dropped since the loss of code enforcement.
“I think we need to go with code enforcement,” Smith said. “The property values that you've lost would have paid for code enforcement.”
A resolution including the measure on the ballot must be prepared for council action for submittal to the Lake County Registrar of Voters no later than Aug. 8.
The cost to the city for the last consolidated election was $6,381, city officials reported.
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