Monterey, California, Telephone Users Tax, Measure G (November 2016)
| Measure G: Monterey Telephone Users Tax |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
| Topic: |
| Local utility tax and fees Expires in: Never |
| Related articles |
| Local utility tax and fees on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Monterey County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Monterey, California |
A telephone users tax measure was on the ballot for Monterey voters in Monterey County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of extending the city's telephone users tax to wireless, internet, and other modern telecommunications. |
| A no vote was a vote against extending the city's telephone users tax to wireless, internet, and other modern telecommunications. |
Election results
| Measure G | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| 6,201 | 56.15% | |||
| No | 4,843 | 43.85% | ||
- Election results from Monterey County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
To modernize the City’s existing 5% telephone users tax for non-residential users, and existing 2% rate for residential users, and to maintain funding for such essential City services as police, fire, streets, libraries and parks, shall the tax be extended to include wireless, internet, and other modern telecommunications without increasing the tax rate to raise approximately $560,000 per year for City services on an ongoing basis?[2] |
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Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Monterey City Attorney:
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Measure G is proposed by the Monterey City Council to update the City’s existing Utility Users Tax (“UUT”) on telephone services to be consistent with current practice and modern technologies. The tax rate will not change. The proceeds of the UUT can only be spent on City services and cannot be taken away by the State. The City of Monterey approved the UUT on intra-state telephone services in 1970. UUT revenues are paid into the City’s general fund, which is allocated by the City Council through the annual budget for general City services such as police, fire, library services, recreation programs, parks, and street maintenance. The City’s current UUT, like that of most California cities, refers to federal law to describe telephone services. Since the City originally adopted the UUT, both the definition of telephone services in federal law and telephone technology have changed significantly. In recent years, many cities have modernized the telecommunications part of their UUT ordinances to respond to changes in federal law and to reflect the shift from landline technologies to digital communication technologies. Measure G will not increase the current tax rate. The measure would update the UUT to modernize its language to reflect changes in federal law, account for technological advances, and treat all technologies equally so every phone customer is treated fairly whether they use the latest technology (e.g., cell phones) or older phone services (e.g., landlines). The Measure would clarify that UUT applies to all telephone services, including interstate and international calls, cell phone calls, and Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls. Most wireless carriers already include the telecommunications tax on users’ bills. Measure G would not apply to charges for internet access, internet content or downloads of music, video and other information. Measure G does not increase the current UUT rate. Voter approval would be required for any increase in the rate or the scope of services subject to the UUT. Measure G requires approval of a majority of voters. A “yes” vote for Measure G is a vote in favor of adopting the updated UUT. A “no” vote against Measure G will leave in place the City’s existing UUT ordinance. A full copy of the ordinance is printed in these ballot materials.[2] |
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| —Monterey City Attorney[3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Monterey, California.
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Notice of Local Measures," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Voter Guide," accessed October 24, 2016
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