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File Number: 18-209 <br />community who could improve the likelihood of a potential measure passing. <br />Other related factors that could impact whether the City Council wants to place this tax measure <br />on the ballot could include: <br />·Whether or not the City Council is unified in its support for the measure <br />·Whether or not there are any other competing tax measures on the same ballot <br />·Public perceptions that the City has done all it can to live within its means and address <br />budget shortfalls in advance of seeking additional revenue <br />·How well the identified funding priorities align with public sentiment <br />·Whether voters understand the complexities and nuances of the proposed tax structure <br />It should also be noted that the City previously pursued a similar public safety parcel tax measure <br />as part of the November 2004 ballot, known as Measure DD. The measure ultimately garnered <br />50.5% support, and therefore failed to surpass the two-thirds threshold that would have been <br />necessary for success. <br />The 2004 tax measure was structured as follows, with a 5.5 year sunset provision: <br />Commercial/Industrial:$16.00 per 1,000 square feet of parcel area <br />Residential-Single family homes/townhomes/condos: $78.00 per parcel <br />Residential-Multi-Family/Mobile home properties:$46.80 per unit <br />Unimproved:$4.00 per thousand square feet of parcel area <br />Non-profit education/Places of worship:$13.00 per thousand square feet of parcel area <br />Exempt:$0.00 <br />The 2004 measure also contained a provision offering a 40% discount to low-income seniors <br />aged 65 and over, based upon a codified index, such as PG&E’s CARE program to determine <br />eligibility. The measure also would have allowed for annual inflation adjustments based upon the <br />regional Consumer Price Index (CPI). If the measure had been successful, it was forecast to <br />generate approximately $3.5 million annually. A summary of this unsuccessful measure is <br />attached. <br />Estimated City Costs Associated with Above efforts <br />Given the inherent complexity and technical expertise associated with the development of a <br />parcel tax, if the City Council seeks to proceed further, staff would strongly recommend retaining a <br />financial services consultant to assist in developing an analysis of various parcel tax rates and <br />durations in advance of conducting a public opinion survey. Based on initial dialogue with one <br />such consultant, it is estimated that such an analysis could cost $10,000 to $15,000. <br />Hiring a public opinion research company to test potential voter support for such a measure at a <br />range of different rates and sunset provisions would also be required. Based upon costs <br />associated with such a voter survey in advance of Measures HH and OO, PP, & NN, the cost for <br />such a poll could range anywhere between $35,000-$45,000, depending on the number of <br />questions asked and the number of languages in which the survey questions would be translated. <br />Page 5 City of San Leandro Printed on 5/1/2018 <br />1572