Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - OakleyPress_10.10.08 - Index

OCTOBER 10, 2008 COMMUNITY BRENTWOODPRESS.COM | 25A
Parks from page 1A
of this is money,” said Councilwoman Pat
Anderson. “There is not enough funding to
maintain this area, either one. I have a lot of
concerns on how we proceed at this time.”
Councilwoman Carol Rios agreed, saying,
“You can always build it, but can you
maintain it? If you can’t keep the grass cut, it
becomes a catch-all for anyone who wants to
hang out, because it doesn’t look like a park
any more. Before we put the cart before the
horse, we might want to fi nd out if they want
to enter into an assessment district.
“If we hear, ‘We would love to have this
park and would maintain it at this level,’ that
would help us build it. So that we don’t build
something that they are not willing to support.”
A recreation consultant and City Manager
Bryan Montgomery suggested a compromise
in which the city would put in only
play equipment and a paved walking path
in the fi rst phase of the parks. But the city
would hold off on the more maintenance-intensive
lawn areas until the residents near the
parks agree to tax themselves for the maintenance.
But Mayor Bruce Connelley poohpoohed
that idea, saying that the assessment
Tax from page 1A
tax paid by some smaller businesses and raise the tax paid by
others, especially larger businesses.
“While not expected to result in signifi cant new revenues
in the near future, the changes proposed are expected to bring
the City’s tax structure closer to those of our neighboring
cities, and ultimately bring the City’s business license tax revenues
more in line with local averages.
“Equally important, as Oakley grows and larger businesses
are established here, the City’s business license tax revenues
would be expected to grow more under the amended
structure than the current one.”
The increased revenue will go into the city’s General
Fund to be used for services such as police protection, senior
and youth programs, street repairs, park maintenance, library
programs and code enforcement.
The council’s ballot argument states, “While part of why
Oakley’s revenues are lower is that we have fewer businesses,
part is because our rates are lower (especially on larger businesses).
In fact, Oakley’s current rates are among the lowest
in the State.
“While rates in Oakley and our neighboring cities are
generally lower than in other areas of the County, Measure L
brings Oakley’s business license tax rates into closer alignment
with East County rates overall, while remaining competitive
for small and medium size businesses.”
Aaron Meadows, the treasurer and leader of the East
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district should be in place fi rst before doing
any park-like construction.
“I don’t want to do it halfway and give
them a trail,” he said. “If I don’t have a park
(in my neighborhood) and it will only cost
me 50 bucks a year, I would be willing (to
pay it). (We need to) let the neighbors know
that we can’t proceed unless they are willing
to put up their $50 to $100 each. People buying
houses right now are paying a whole lot
more than those who have been here 5, 10,
20 years. Everybody else in the city pays their
fair share.”
Council members were also concerned
that not enough outreach had been done to
the residents near the parks to gain their input.
Only two people showed up at a neighborhood
meeting to discuss Legless Lizard
Park; about a dozen people showed up at the
Teakwood meeting, none of whom included
the seniors in Summer Creek.
Daniel Yore, Oakley parks and landscape
supervisor, said the Lizard neighbors
want more grass area and a walking trail in
that park. Teakwood neighbors want playground
equipment and fencing along Teakwood
Boulevard to keep kids from running
into the street.
Councilman Brad Nix considered the
Serving Homeowners and Contractors
County Coalition, is also a real estate broker who has plastered
the environs of his Coldwell Banker offi ce on Del Antico
Way at Main Street with signs reading “L-No! Stop the
Tax Increase.” He said the tax hike is not fair, particularly for
landlords who would now be paying $200 per rental unit per
year.
His coalition has raised $8,500 so far to get the word out
that the tax will hurt existing businesses in Oakley and discourage
new businesses from locating here.
“We have a lack of businesses in Oakley,” said Meadows.
“I don’t have an issue with having higher per capita income
from business license taxes, but we must do it by getting additional
businesses in Oakley, not by taxing the ones that are
here more. They really hit rental housing hard.”
Meadows pointed out that if his real estate company
generates $1 million in revenue, the city’s tax would be $125.
But if a landlord generates $1 million by renting out 40 houses
at $2,000 per month, the city’s tax would be $8,000.
“Eight thousand versus $125 – is that equitable?” asked
Meadows. “Who’s going to pay that $8,000? Is it not going to
be passed on to the renters? I would have to pass it on to my
renters.”
The $200 tax would be on top of the $135 rental inspection
fee the city is already charging landlords per unit, he said.
In addition, the business tax will increase with infl ation.
The new tax may encourage more low-income housing
in the city, said Meadows, because landlords will receive a 50-
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lack of input on Teakwood from the neighboring
senior community to be a problem. “I
have some concerns that we may be setting
ourselves up for a potential confl ict of future
users between the two (groups), particularly
since it’s so close to their (senior) facility.”
Nix also said that the tax in the assessment
district in the Vintage Parkway area
The Teakwood
basin is currently
off
limits to the
public, but
that could
change if residents
agree to
tax themselves
to pay for
maintenance
of a park
there.
Staff file photo
needs to be increased to pay for repair of the
sound wall along the parkway that he said is
in danger of collapsing.
“I would like to take a good, hard look
at what the costs would be for Vintage and
… take it to the neighborhood,” he said.
“Nobody wants to drive down the road and
see a deteriorating fence.”
percent discount on the tax if they own a low-income rental.
Meadows said this could lead to more Section 8 subsidized
housing in Oakley.
Oakley Finance Director Paul Abelson stated in a press
release that the discount would go only to landlords signing
long-term agreements that restrict their rental property to affordable
housing.
“Because these covenants/restrictions would reduce the
future sales price and value of the home, it is very unlikely
any landlord renting through Section 8 would place such a
covenant on his/her properties,” Abelson’s press release states.
“The Measure would have those landlords … fi nally pay a
tax.
“In the end, while the Measure’s opponents want this
to be about a crisis, it is not. It is about changing the City’s
business license tax structure so that it will work better in the
future, and to bring the City’s tax structure closer to that of
neighboring cities.”
But Meadows questioned whether this is the best time to
raise taxes, noting that a million-dollar home in his neighborhood
recently went into foreclosure.
“I just don’t think it’s the right time to be paying something
like this,” he said. “There’s going to be a certain group of
people that will be affected. It could lead to more low-income
housing in this community because of the way they wrote the
measure. I think the whole thing was rushed through.”
For more information, go to www.ci.oakley.ca.us.