Say ‘goodbye’ to

the utility tax;

vote yes on

Measure A

Calabasas Mayor Lesley Devine said that the Utility users Tax (UUT) contributes to basic service costs. That’s true.

She implies that those basic fire, police, traffic, library, parks and recreation services would suffer cuts or elimination if Measure A is passed. That’s simply wrong.

Here are some of the facts I discovered in researching this tax:

•Calabasas has more than $27,000,000 in revenues this year.

•The UUT provides only 9.2 percent of total revenues.

•Revenues are made up of "Special" or "Restricted" funds and "General" or "Unrestricted" funds.

•The UUT is 15 percent of the General Fund part of total revenues, not the 18 percent alleged by Mayor Devine (see pie chart on Page A-11 of current city budget).

•Current revenue levels without repeal are $1,304.53 per year for every Calabasas man, woman, and child.

•$1,183.54 per person would be the first-year revenue level with Measure A.

•That’s a difference of only $120.99 per person per year.

•The library is directly funded by a specific percentage of the property tax that is separate and distinct from the city’s share.

•Calabasas has two new auto dealerships soon to be built.

•Auto dealerships are among the most significant and stable sales tax generators.

•Between the dealerships, new million-dollar homes, and annexations, revenue will soon approach pre-Measure A levels.

•The incorporation revenue projections never included the then-nonexistent UUT.

•The incorporation committee projected significant revenue surpluses for four years after incorporation without a UUT.

•Proposition 218, requiring a vote of the people before the imposition of a new tax, became law Jan. 1, 1991.

•In July 1990, the board of supervisors imposed the UUT to pay for mental health facilities.

•The Calabasas incorporation vote took place in March 1991.

•Voters didn’t really realize their electricity, gas, telephone and cellular telephone bills were subject to the UUT.

Perhaps if the first council (of which Devine and Washburn were members) had trusted Calabasas voters enough to give them a choice then, Measure A wouldn’t be necessary today. Measure A provides Calabasas a choice.

As a proponent of Measure A, I trust the voters of Calabasas to make the right choice for themselves, not for the benefit of those who govern.

Karmen Brower

Proponent of Measure A

and Candidate for

Calabasas City Council

Calabasas