A "yes" vote on Measure DD will approve the increased UUT rate for gas and electric service and the new UUT rate for water service.
City of AlbanyMeasure DD - Majority Approval Required
City of Albany
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To support City of Albany general services including: disaster and emergency preparedness, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, emergency response and environmental sustainability, shall a measure increasing the City's utility users' tax from 7% to 9.5% for gas and electric service, and applying the tax to water service at 7.5%, providing an additional $675,000 annually until ended by voters, exempting self-generated energy, exempting low-income households, requiring independent audits, with all funds remaining local be adopted?
What is this proposal?
Details — Official information
YES vote means
NO vote means
A "no" vote on Measure DD will not approve the increased UUT rate for gas and electric service and the new UUT rate for water service.
Impartial analysis / Proposal
Malathy Sumarian, Albany City Attorney
The City of Albany ("City") currently imposes a utility users' tax ("UUT") of seven percent (7%) for gas and electricity. The City currently does not impose a tax on water service. The gas and electric UUT currently provides approximately $887 ,000.00 annually to the General Fund to pay for general City services and programs.
Measure "_ " was placed on the ballot by the Albany City Council and, if approved by a majority of Albany voters, will amend the Municipal Code to increase the maximum gas and electric UUT
rate from seven percent (7%) to nine and one half percent (9.5%) and apply the UUT to water service at a maximum rate of seven and one half percent (7.5%). It is projected that the UUT rate
increase on gas and electricity and the new UUT on water service will together generate an additional $675,600.00 in new revenues annually.
The UUT is typically computed on the basis of monthly usage and collected by the utility services provider in accordance with the service provider's regular billing practices. The increased gas and
electric UUT rates and the new water UUT rate would remain in effect until modified or repealed by Albany voters.
Measure "_ " would be a "general tax". All revenue from this tax would be deposited into the City's General Fund and could be used for general City operations and services. The Measure
expresses an intent that the City spend at least one-third (113) of the UUT revenue on implementing the City's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and supporting environmental sustainability
programs.
A "yes" vote on Measure "_ " will approve the increased UUT rate for gas and electric service and the new UUT rate for water service.
A "no" vote on Measure "_ " will not approve the increased UUT rate for gas and electric service and the new UUT rate for water service.
The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure "_". If you desire a copy of the ordinance or measure, please call the City Clerk's office at (510) 528-5710 and a copy will be
mailed at no cost to you.
/s/ Malathy Subramanian, City Attorney
38159.0000 I
Published Arguments — Arguments for and against
Arguments FOR
Argument in Favor of Measure DD
Want Albany to care about and take action on climate change? Want fair taxes to support this important work? VOTE YES on DD!!
Albany met its 2020 pollution reduction goal as a community by reducing our carbon emissions. Help Albany meet its next critical climate protection goals by raising funds
to support climate action while reducing energy costs for low-income Albany residents.
Measure DD slightly raises taxes on gas and electricity (about $4/month for the average household) and institutes a tax on water. In addition to encouraging more frugal use of these resources, it also fairly taxes users: those who use more pay more, those who use less pay less.
These funds are needed to support Albany’s efforts to promote sustainability, provide emergency response planning, and other important city services. Measure DD recommends a third of the new revenues be used for climate protection and adaptation actions such as:
● Transitioning from gas to clean, renewably generated electricity
● Increasing our urban forest and green infrastructure to reduce temperatures
● Creating incentives to encourage residents to use zero emission forms of
transportation
We need to rapidly eliminate fossil fuel use to protect the climate. There are cost competitive, electric appliances that can replace older, polluting and unsafe natural gasfired appliances. Measure DD will raise funds in an equitable way to promote and encourage our transition to clean electrically powered appliances while also increasing the safety and health of our residents.
Voting YES on Measure DD exempts low-income Albany households enrolled in CARE and CAP cost reduction programs from the proposed and EXISTING utility
taxes. Passage of the measure will SAVE financially challenged households in Albany money. Measure DD will advance economic justice in Albany.
VOTE YES on Measure DD! Albany cares about the climate! Albany wants taxes to be fair! Albanyfairclimate.org
/s/ Nick Pilch, Albany Mayor
/s/ Peter Maass, Albany Councilmember
/s/ Eric Larson, Chair, Albany Climate Action Committee
/s/ David Arkin, Former Planning and Zoning Commissioner
/s/ Nick Peterson, Principal, Albany Climate Action Coalition
Arguments AGAINST
none
Read the proposed legislation
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