Pasadena Chamber Board of Directors positions on local, county and state ballot initiatives

From Chamber Board meeting of August 28, 2018

1. Local Pasadena Initiatives:

• ¾¢ sales tax increase (Pasadena Infrastructure/Community Essential Services Protection Measure) (The Board voted to OPPOSE the sales tax increase. The vote was the result input from our members, 77% of whom oppose the measure, as well as concerns that the City has not made meaningful efforts to economize or develop a long-term strategic organization plan going forward. While the argument put forth about passing it at the local level before the county passes another increase carried some weight, in the end the Board felt that would be a decision at the time an increase is placed before voters.)
• Advisory vote- provide 1/3 of sales tax increase (¼¢) to Pasadena Unified School District (The board voted to take NO POSITION on the measure, feeling that opposition to the tax increase was adequate and that voters could decide, should the measure pass, whether to include the school district in the funding allocation.)

2. LA County Initiatives

• Levy against all private property owners of 2.5 per square foot of non-permeable land to fund stormwater mitigation measures. (The Board voted to OPPOSE this measure because the cost is extremely onerous for commercial and residential real estate owners. There is also no set spending plan and no sunset clause to the measure, so funding flows indefinitely, even once the goals have been achieved. Exempting public agencies from the charges is unfair, as they also contribute to stormwater runoff.)
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3. State of California Initiatives

• Proposition 1: Bond to fund housing and new service programs for veterans. (The Board voted to SUPPORT the measure as funding for veteran housing and support programs, especially for homeless and otherwise impacted veterans, is critical to serve a much deserving population.)
• Proposition 2: Bond to fund existing housing program for individuals with mental illness. Authorizes state to use revenue from millionaire's tax for $2 billion in bonds for homelessness prevention housing. (The Board voted to SUPPORT this initiative as it reprograms existing funding to help address important issues facing the homeless and mentally ill persons in California.)
• Proposition 3: Bonds to fund water supply and quality, watershed, fish, wildlife, water conservation, groundwater sustainability and storage. (The Board voted to SUPPORT the measure as a means to further provide reliability and improve water quality in California, particularly needed in Southern California, especially for economically impacted populations.)
• Proposition 4: Bonds funding construction of hospitals providing children’s health care. Bond funds for capital projects at children’s hospitals in California. (The Board voted to SUPPORT efforts to increase capacity and improve services at children’s hospitals in California.)
• Proposition 5: Changes requirements for certain property owners to transfer their property tax base to replacement property. Allows property owners over age 55 to transfer their Prop 13 tax rates from previous property to new property upon sale of the previous property. (The Board voted to SUPPORT the measure as a means to facilitate the transfer of real estate, possibly bring more housing to market and protect the financial health of those on fixed incomes should they sell one property and buy a property with a higher tax burden.)
• Proposition 6: Eliminates certain road repair and transportation funding. Requires certain fuel taxes and vehicle fees be approved by the electorate. (Nullifies SB 1-gas tax and vehicle fee increase to fund road repairs and transportation projects.) (The Board voted to OPPOSE the measure because road and street repair and transit construction are necessary to the economic health of California. Funding sources that exist in other states, such as toll roads and vehicle taxes, are more burdensome on drivers there than these gas tax and registration fee increases are to Californians.)
• Proposition 7: Conforms California Daylight Savings Time to federal law. Allows legislature to change daylight saving time period. (The board voted to SUPPORT the measure as it will allow California to choose the best means to serve our citizens.)
• Proposition 8: regulates amounts outpatient kidney dialysis clinics charge for dialysis treatment. (The Board voted to OPPOSE the measure as an unnecessary intrusion on the workplace with rules that will not improve patient safety or service.)
• Proposition 10: Expands local government’ authority to enact rent control on residential property. (Eliminates Costa-Hawkins Act which restricts rent control to apartments constructed prior to 1995.) (The Board voted to OPPOSE the measure because it potentially places overly burdensome rent control restrictions and would likely stymie the development of new rental units when California is facing a massive housing shortage.)
• Proposition 11: Requires private emergency ambulance employees to remain on-call during work breaks. Supported by American Medical Response, opposed by California Teachers Association. (The Board voted to SUPPORT the measure because it could, in some circumstances, enhance the effectiveness and response time of emergency medical personnel.)
• Proposition 12: extends new standards for confinement of specified farm animals, bans sale of non-complying products. Bans sales of veal, pork or eggs that come from animals knowingly confined in a cruel manner. (The Board took NO POSITION on the measure as there are no farms, dairies or meat producing enterprises in the Pasadena area.)

Download a copy of the report here:

Legislative_Report_on_Pasadena_Chamber_Board_Actions_8-28-18.pdf

Legislative_Report_on_Pasadena_Chamber_Board_Actions_8-28-18.pdf