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Published on 07/28/1999 All articles from this issue

City OKs ballot language to increase tax

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

The Los Altos City Council approved the ballot language for a proposed increase in the local utility-user tax, which will go to voters in the November election.

At a special meeting July 20, council members tightened the ballot's language to 75 words to meet the allowed word count.

The earlier measure, passed by the council on July 13, numbered 119 words.

The ballot will ask voters to approve an increase in the utility-user tax from the current 3.5 percent to 6.25 percent.

The increase would provide the city additional funds to raise service levels for maintenance, recreation and public safety.

These services would include, for maintenance:

deferred facility repairs and preventive maintenance;

crack-sealing, street maintenance;

street landscaping maintenance.

For recreation, increased funding would finance:

facility acquisition and construction;

park land acquisition;

an after-school youth program.

And in the area of public safety, increased funds would go toward:

emergency 911 communications;

expansion of traffic safety programs;

For the measure to pass, it requires a majority vote. Cost to each utility user would be about an additional $100 per year, city officials said. The increase would provide the city approximately $ 1 million.

The proposal goes before the votes in the Nov. 2 election.