A Reliable
Voice in the
Community

Volume 6
Issue 17
July 8 - 14, 2009

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Big vote in Oakland

Commentary by Clinton Killian

The Oakland City Council closed its $83 million deficit, but it is on very shaky ground. One of the lynchpins is the July 21 special election. All four measures on the ballot have to pass in order to raise about 10 percent of the funds necessary to close the deficit.

The special election has gotten off to a shaky start. Many voters simply suffer from fatigue, having voting in five elections in the last year and half, including a California special election. In addition, the general voter mood in these hard economic times is not to approve any type of taxes.

Faced with this uphill battle, many Oakland City Council members have taken the lead to inform the public of this special election. District 4 Councilwoman Jean Quan and At-Large Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan have spearheaded the drive to get voters involved in this election. Many other groups, such as Friends of the Zoo, Space Center and Museum, Oakland Builders Alliance and the African American Chamber of Commerce PAC also have pitched in to educate the public.

The July 21 election is unique in that it is a mail-only ballot. If you are a registered Oakland voter, you should have received your ballot. You must fill in the ballot and mail it back quickly. It must be received by the registrar of voters by July 21. Do not hesitate ... vote today.

These are the four measures that are on this special election ballot:

Measure C: Provides funds for the Oakland Museum, Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland Zoo and community festivals. It also supplies funding for the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau to strengthen our hotel and hospitality industry and create more jobs. This is a 3 percent increase of the hotel fees that are paid only by those staying in Oakland hotels.

Measure D: Changes to formula for Kids First funding to protect vital public services. As you recall, Kids First 2 passed in November 2008 authorizing a huge transfer of the entire city budget to children’s programs. This measure adjusts the formula so that only 3 percent of the general fund budget goes toward Kids First programs.

Measure F: This increases the business tax for medical marijuana dispensaries to 18 percent. It also strengthens the control and regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Measure H: This closes the city real property transfer tax so that it applies to transfers of real estate involving corporate mergers and acquisitions. This does not raise the residential homeowner or local business individual taxes. It only applies to property transfers as a result of mergers and acquisitions.

These measures will not erase the budget deficit. They will clarify, adjust and make Oakland’s current tax system more reasonable. They will generate funds to reduce our deficit while protecting and creating vital city services.

It is your duty to vote in this July 21 special election. Again, it is a mail-only election. Fill out the ballot you have received and drop it in the mail and be sure you mail it by July 14 so that it arrives at the registrar of voters office before July 21.

This is your chance to be a part of the Oakland budget crisis solution.

Clinton Killian is an Oakland attorney, resident and former planning commissioner. He can be reached at (510) 625-8823 or clintonkillian@yahoo.com.

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