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ORDINANCE NO. 2014- <br />ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO <br />ENACTING A TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE <br />STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION <br />WHEREAS, Section 7285.9 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code authorizes <br />cities to levy, increase or extend a transactions and use tax (“sales tax” or “sales and use tax”) at <br />a rate of 0.125% (or any multiple thereof) to be expended for general purposes, which <br />transactions and use tax is subject to the approval by a two-thirds majority vote of all the <br />members of the City Council and by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the City voting in <br />an election on the issue; and <br />WHEREAS, Article XIII C, section 2 of the California Constitution requires that a <br />general tax must be approved by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the City voting in an <br />election on the issue, and that said election shall be consolidated with a regularly scheduled <br />general election for members of the governing body of the local government; and <br />WHEREAS, a majority of the voters of the City of San Leandro approved a one-quarter <br />cent (0.25%) Transactions and Use (Sales) Tax, which expires March 2018; and <br />WHEREAS, this local funding that cannot be taken by the State has ensured that current <br />service levels for public safety, parks, libraries, and other City services and programs are <br />maintained with a reliable source of voter-approved funding; and <br />WHEREAS, although this funding maintainscurrent service levels, it does not allowthe <br />City to address a growing backlog of unfunded public safety, infrastructure, and other program <br />and service needs; and <br />WHEREAS, upon expiration of the currentsales and use tax measure, the City of San <br />Leandro faces an ongoing budget deficit in the magnitude of approximately $4 millionannually, <br />which would result in drastic reductions in many of the City’s existing services, facilities and <br />programs such as cuts to neighborhood patrol officers, fire prevention services, 911 emergency <br />response services, school officers and crossing guards unless additional sources of revenue can be <br />found; and <br />WHEREAS, thousands of people visit San Leandro every day and existing, voter- <br />approved local funding ensures that those visitors pay their fair share for police, fire, street repair <br />and other services visitors use when they are in San Leandro; and <br />WHEREAS, any voter-approved funding would continue to include annual auditsand <br />oversight by the City’s Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee of community members to <br />ensure funds are spent properly; and