[Davisgig] City of Davis Staff Report on Broadband Released & Article about El Macero

[Steve McMahon]

A little more. A tax dedicated to a single purpose is not a general tax and
would require 2/3, making it possible at any regular election.

This explains to me why some of the neighboring communities have had
simple-majority tax measures with associated "advisory" measures telling
the city to spend the money a particular way. So long as the "advisory" is
non-binding, the tax would be a general tax.

I think the whole point of city involvement is to do a bond. If we don't do
a bond, we'd need to use a private entity with private financing. Which
some cities have done via non-profits like DCN. No election needed. But
nearly certainly more expensive and loses the benefit of municipal
ownership.


On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 11:01 AM, Steve McMahon <steve at dcn.org> wrote:

> The LAO has a nice write up on the various restrictions on local tax
> measures:
> http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2014/finance/local-taxes/voter-approval-032014.aspx
>
> The "taxes must be decided at a regularly scheduled local election"
> provisions appear to apply to two kinds of measures: 1) school bonds
> approvable at a 55% level and 2) general taxes approvable by simple
> majority.
>
> So, if we go the bond route, this will be a 2/3 vote at any regularly
> scheduled election.
>
> A parcel tax looks to fall under the "general" taxes category and would
> need to be voted at a regularly scheduled local election.
>
> That's my reading. Your mileage may vary.
>
> On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 10:25 AM, Douglas A. Walter <dawalter at dcn.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Apologies: this is overly dramatic. However, you can tell where I'm
>> coming from, I trust, and understand some of the urgency I feel to change
>> the recommendation for the task force to take things slowly and avoid
>> precipitous actions.
>>
>> On Dec 1, 2015, at 10:12 AM, Douglas A. Walter wrote:
>>
>> ...since the slow task force is a slow death...
>>
>>
>> =-=-=
>> Doug Walter, home edition
>> dawalter at dcn.org
>> Wag more (bark less)
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> Please ref our wiki for details, documents and contacts:
>>
>> http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~help/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=start
>>
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>>
>
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