The Desert Sun
The Mission Springs Water District on Monday filed a court challenge against a citizen initiative that would roll back this year’s water and sewer rate increases, arguing the measure is unconstitutional and would bankrupt the district. The proposed initiative, whose backers include former Palm Springs City Councilman Jim Jones and former Desert Hot Springs City Councilwoman Mary Stephens, received more than 1,400 registrar-certified signatures in a petition drive earlier this year to put it on the November ballot.
A former Norco councilman withdrew the paperwork for a ballot initiative that would have slashed Riverside County supervisors’ salaries and ended their health insurance. Herb Higgins, who ran for county supervisor last year, informed county officials of his decision to withdraw his request Wednesday.
Riverside County supervisors later this month will consider a pension-related ballot initiative that also gives voters control over the benefits paid to public safety officers’ widows and orphans. The issue was scheduled to be discussed during Tuesday’s regular board meeting, but was postponed until the July 27 meeting.
The tail end of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s would not seem to be the ideal time to tack another penny onto every dollar being spent in a community. But that’s what Cathedral City officials will ask voters to consider on the June 8 ballot. Mayor Kathy DeRosa says she didn’t want to broach the topic of sales tax when she and others were putting together questions for a resident survey about methods for balancing the city budget.
For the second time in eight months city officials plan to ask voters to approve a tax initiative to help the cash-strapped city balance its budget and put off further cuts to city services. The Coachella City Council met Wednesday and approved 5-0 placing a Utility Users Tax on the June 8 primary ballot. The city faces a budget shortfall for next fiscal year between $1.6 million and $2 million.
A Los Angeles group began circulating a petition Monday to place an amendment before California voters in 2010 to overturn the state’s same-sex marriage ban. The measure marks the fourth attempt to overturn Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between a man and woman in California.
Palm Springs voters will decide in November whether to approve a complex ballot measure requiring more telephone customers in the city to pay a utility tax. The proposed Measure G, city officials say, will make sure all Palm Springs telephone users ”” including cell and cable phone customers ”” pay their fair utility tax share.
Coachella voters will be asked on Nov. 3 to support a new tax that city officials say will help maintain city services, such as public safety, street maintenance and parks. The Coachella City Council had a special meeting Tuesday, and with a 5-0 vote, approved calling a special election about a 5 percent Utility Users Tax. If approved, the tax would be assessed on utilities such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, cable TV and refuse hauling. It would generate roughly $1.2 million a year.
A recent poll indicates that none of the five budget related measures that will appear in a May 19 special election have majority support in southern counties. The only measure polling with voter support is a proposition that will freeze legislators’ salaries in deficit years. That measure enjoys over 80% support.