HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/5/2018 Item 1, Hermann and Purrington
City of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
DATE: June 5, 2018
TO: City Council
FROM: Greg Hermann, Interim Deputy City Manager
Teresa Purrington, City Clerk
VIA: Derek Johnson, City Manager DJ
SUBJECT: Item 1 – November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election
Staff identified the following changes to the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election item as
described below:
1. Staff recommends the following additional recommendation for this item:
“5. Appoint an ad hoc subcommittee consisting of two Council Members to prepare and submit ballot
arguments and rebuttal arguments, if warranted.”
Discussion of the appointment of an ad hoc committee to prepare and submit ballot arguments is
included in the report, but was inadvertently omitted from the recommendations.
2. Staff recommends the following changes to the ballot question included in the report as follows:
“Shall the measure to maintain and improve essential City services, including without limitation:
police/ and fire services public safety; senior, youth and park services; programs to retain/ and attract
local jobs businesses; and addressing homelessness; and other general revenue purposes; by
establishing imposing a cannabis business tax up to 10% of gross receipts for retail and businesses and
up to $10.00 per canopy square foot for cultivation (adjustable annually for inflation), raising
approximately $1,500,000 annually, until ended by voters, with all funds used locally, be adopted.”
The addition of the phrase “other general revenue purposes” in the ballot question, as well as the text
of the measure itself, could aid in the potential defense of the measure should the Business Roundtable
measure qualify for the November California ballot and be passed. Among other limitations, the
Business Roundtable measure would eliminate local authority to impose a tax for general purposes by
majority vote and instead require all local proposed tax increases be subject to a two-thirds vote. In
addition, the measure would apply retroactively to local agencies and would void any local measure
approved by local voters on or after Jan. 1, 2018 that does not comply with the measure’s provisions.
The additional language reflects the general revenue disclosure requirements of the potential measure
and may insulate the City’s measure from challenge or retroactive invalidation if the Business
Roundtable Measure passes.
3. On page 12 of the agenda packet, the staff report states that the due date for the Rebuttal Arguments
for the ballot measure is June 29, 2014. It should instead be June 29, 2018.
Please contact Greg Hermann with any questions at ghermann@slocity.org.