CITY SEWER TAX: USURIOUS OR NOT?
Are you looking forward to a huge tax hike? Write or fax the city clerk and say JUST SAY NO!
Our City Council wants to increase our sewer taxes by almost 70%. A sewer tax increase is necessary, but a 70 percent tax is usurious.
What they claim: The sewer tax is only going to increase by 11%.
What actually will happen: Your sewer taxes will increase by 11% EVERY
YEAR, for 5 years. That's almost 70% over 5 years.
How did they do this:
Easy.
They proposed an 11% per year increase for 5 years.
They only showed a one year tax increase in their table--2003 - 2004
Their table DIDN'T show the cumulative increase over 5 years, which amounts to a 68.5% increase--almost 70% In other words, they didn't bother to divulge all the facts
Try the numbers yourself. To calculate a percentage increase:
Subtract the original cost from the increased cost then
Divide the resulting number by the original cost then
Multiply that number by 100.
For a single family home, your original (2003) cost is $11.89 and your one
year increased cost (2004) is $13.20
$13.20 - 11.89 = $1.39
$1.39/$13.20 = 0.11
0.11*100 =11%
Now try it with 2008's cost: Your original (2003) cost is $11.89 and your
increased (2008) cost is $20.04
$20.04 - 11.89 = $8.15
$8.15/$13.20 = 0.685
0.685*100 = 68.5%
WHAT TO DO:
The City Council is having a hearing on Tuesday 16 September at 7 PM.
According to the council's own announcement, "If written protests are presented by owners of a majority of parcels, the city council cannot approve the increase."
WRITE a protest (be sure to include your name) then fax it, express mail or
drop it off at city hall BEFORE 7 PM on TUESDAY SEPT 16
City Clerk
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza
OAKLAND CA 94612
Phone(510): 238-3605
Fax (510): 238-6699
cfloyd@oaklandnet.com
!THIS TAX IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH! I've been watching the City's sewer contractor work in my neighborhood for about a month now. What a screwed up leakey mess. I bought a set of plans and specifications from the city and the job they are doing doesen't look anything like what the plans or even the city municipal sewer code requires. The city inspector almost never checks the work. Hang on to your wallet....We'll have to pay twice for this one.
Posted by: Andrew Vincent on September 14, 2003 04:53 PMTonight, Tues Sept 16, the council passed this tax
unanimously (Ignacio absent, because he was at a union convention in Miami). There were 143 letters
received opposing this measure, of which 142 were opposed and of the other letter the city clerk said it couldn't be determined if the writer was opposed or not.
Let's go back now to Andrew Vincent's comment. Mr. Vincent spoke last night before the City Council. Jane Brunner, sitting as president pro tem, asked the Public Works Department for a response to some of Mr. Vincent's comments and questions. The guy from Public Works blew off the questions and gave a total smoke-blowing answer.
Bad move, Public Works. We have every reason to believe that Andrew Vincent knows _exactly_ what he is talking about.
Call/email your council members. Demand that the work being done by ANDES CONSTRUCTION Company be investigated by an independent, outside inspector. It's either that or we sit back and watch Oakland blow another $2 million that could be used for cops,libraries, art, fire suppression, potholes, sidewalks -- name your favorite underfunded program.
You go Andrew! Give them absolute hell.
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