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View Winners → City of Pasadena Services Protection Measure to Be Placed on Ballot
News Aug 03, 2020
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Last Monday, the Pasadena City Council unanimously voted to place the Pasadena City Services Protection Measure on the Nov. 3, 2020 ballot. The measure, calling for a charter amendment, must be approved by a majority of Pasadena voters to maintain the longstanding Light & Power Fund transfer to the General Fund that pays for services including 911 emergency response, fire, paramedics, and programs for public health.
Currently,the Pasadena Light & Power Fund transfer provisions of the Pasadena CityCharter are being challenged in court on whether the portion of the electricrates used is considered a tax and has met the requirements of voter approvalthat are called for in Proposition 218 and Proposition 26, despite havingpreviously gone to and been passed by voters a combined total of seven timessince the 1930s.
Asa full-service city, Pasadena relies on locally generated funds to deliverservices to its residents. The City of Pasadena has experienced a $30 millionloss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite those losses in revenue, the cityused reserve funds, deferred infrastructure projects, and implemented othercost-saving measures to maintain its current emergency response to thepandemic, public health programs, and critical services.
Ifthe Pasadena City Services Protection Measure does not pass, the loss ofapproximately $18 million annually from the Light & Power Fund transferwill result in significant reductions. The reductions would impact emergency911 response; fire, paramedic, public health, and senior services; homeless programs;and street repairs.
ThePasadena City Services Protection Measure is not a new tax, it does not raisetaxes, and it does not raise utility rates — the charter amendment is meant tosimply protect current funding levels that provide the services residentsreceive today.
Ifapproved by a majority of Pasadena voters, the measure will also require annualindependent audits with public disclosure, reduce and limit the Light &Power Fund transfer to not more than 12 percent, previously as much as 16percent; and will be under local control with monies spent benefiting Pasadenaresidents and businesses.