Residents to Vote on Expanding Pacifica's Utility Tax

Press release from the city of Pacifica: 

Pacifica residents will vote in November on a ballot measure to update and expand a utility tax without increasing the current 6.5 percent rate. 

The city council Monday night unanimously voted to move forward with an amendment to the Utility Users Tax (UUT), which would provide local funding untouchable by the state for city services including fire protection, 911 emergency services, police protection, senior citizen services like Meals on Wheels, and street and sidewalk maintenance. 

Funds would stay in Pacifica to provide more local control. Citizen oversight and mandatory annual audits would ensure funds are spent properly. Senior citizens would be exempt from the tax and businesses would have a $500 cap. 

"It will protect vital services that all of us who live in Pacifica want and love about this community," Ginny Jacuith, a retired Pacifica resident, said during the public comment section.

If approved, it would update the tax to include telecommunication services, close unintended loopholes. The measure would expire in eight years and would need voter approval for any future increases or changes. 

However, residents Therese Dyer, Laurie Goldberg, and Tod Schlesinger said they were against taxes and lacked trust in the city council. 

But former city councilwoman Julie Lancelle countered, "Do we want our potholes fixed? Do we want our police department? We need local funding to provide those services. This is our chance." 

Another Pacifica resident emphasized the need to protect Meals on Wheels and other services for seniors. "The $26 million that the state has taken from our city is not coming back," Cindy Abbot said. "Pacifica needs a source of revenue that can't be taken by the state to provide a quality of life that is important to Pacificans." 

Kalimah Salahuddin, a Jefferson Union High School District trustee, volunteered to run a privately financed campaign to support the measure. She also urged the council to move forward Monday night. 

"As a single mother of three children, my family has benefitted from critical services that make Pacifica a safe place to live, including police protection, after school youth programs and the resource center," Salahuddin said. "I am volunteering my time to protect these services for me, my family and my neighbors."