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Measure DD
City of Newark – Newark Essential Services Protection Measure
Newark Essential Services Protection Measure. To protect city services such as repairing potholes/streets; keeping neighborhoods safe/clean, and maintaining 9-1-1 emergency response/fire protection/neighborhood police patrols/parks/recreation programs, shall the measure be adopted updating Newark’s 56-year-old business license ordinance, lowering many small businesses’ taxes, with rates up to 0.3% of gross receipts (as described in the ordinance), raising $6,600,000 annually until ended by voters, with spending disclosure/ independent audits?
Vote Required: 50%+1
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of the tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel or square foot for a parcel tax).
2- Amount of tax generated per year and the duration of the tax.
3- Is this a Special or General tax? (The more specific it’s described, so that one can easily figure which it is, the more credit they get).
4- Where is the money specifically going? (particularly if a special tax).
5-Is there an existing or similar tax already in place? If so, that tax information should be included.
****** Extraneous language unrelated to the matter (-1 point )
Score: 3.6
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of misleading voters in the title of the measure: “Essential Services Protection Measure”, and an “updating” when it actually is a business tax increase, the proceeds of which can go to any city expense, and none may go to the popular listed topics of keeping neighborhoods safe/clean, pothole repairs, etc. The measure doesn’t say what the existing tax rate is only that the measure will raise $6.6 million. The claim that the tax would remain until “ended by voters” is deceptive because it implies there is a mechanism within the measure allowing for the termination of the tax. Instead, there is no probable way to end this tax other than the difficult citizen initiative process. Effectively this tax would probably be permanent.
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