As the November general election approaches, the city of Glendale wants to inform voters about
the importance of the temporary sales tax that the City Council approved in June 2012.
Revenue generated from this tax is for the main budget, the General Fund, providing funding for
services such as public safety, code compliance, libraries and parks and recreation.
The last time Glendale
increased the general sales tax rate across most categories was 20 years ago. Since that time, Glendale’s
population has grown by more than 41 percent, and to serve the needs of the current and new residents, the city has added a third library, 32 parks, a recreation and aquatics center, five fire stations and a police precinct.
What does “temporary” mean?
The new rate is only effective for five years – August 1, 2012 to August 1, 2017.
What’s at stake?
If the temporary sales tax were to go away, here is a list of proposed reductions to the city as of 9/24/12:
- 250 employee positions
- Police officers, CAT Team, jail staff
- Firefighters and fire inspectors
- Closing of Glendale libraries
- Eliminating all downtown city festivals
- Closure of Rose Lane Aquatics Facility
- Shutting down the city’s TV station/online videos to no longer broadcast public meetings
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