Azusa voters to consider sales tax Measure ZZ in November

The Azusa City Council recently voted 5-0 to put a voter initiative on the November 5 ballot that aims to maintain a local 1/4-cent sales tax for public safety and other city services.

Measure ZZ seeks to replace the 1⁄4-cent tax on purchases in Azusa under Los Angeles County Measure H if that tax is repealed or expires, according to an Aug. 6 city statement.

Since October 2017 under Measure H — which is set to expire Sept. 30, 2027 and is facing repeal by this November’s Measure A — LA County has levied a 1⁄4-cent sales tax on residents to fund homelessness prevention services.

“Over the past several years, Azusa has generated millions in local sales tax dollars for county-wide homeless initiatives,” Mayor Robert Gonzalez said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the reality is that Azusa has only seen a small fraction of that revenue in return. With this measure going before the voters, Azusa seeks to have local control over taxpayer dollars so we can maintain local services for our residents and continue to address the emergency caused by homelessness in Azusa.”

To date the Measure H tax has generated more than $13.5 million in sales tax revenue from Azusa, but less than 5% of that amount has directly benefited local residents, according to a city staff report.

With Measure H’s sunset looming, a coalition of housing and mental-health advocates collected more than 390,000 signatures to place another homeless initiative on the upcoming ballot, according to the staff report. Measure A aims to repeal Measure H and impose a new 1⁄2-cent sales tax that Azusa officials estimated will generate $5 million annually from the city indefinitely.

“Again, the funds will not directly benefit Azusa,” according to the staff report.

Azusa Police Chief Rocky Wenrick observed that 60% of the city’s budget goes toward local public safety expenses.

“Additional locally controlled funding could help maintain 911 emergency response, enforce qualify of life issues, such as camping in public places and patrols of neighborhoods, schools, and parks,” Wenrick said in a statement.

A voter-approved Measure ZZ — dubbed the “Azusa Public Safety, Community Services, Local Control and Accountability Measure” — would maintain local control over taxpayer dollars and fund city services such as police anti-gang enforcement programs, addressing homelessness, police patrols of schools, parks and recreation areas, street repair and improving public facilities.

More information on Azusa’s upcoming municipal election is at azusaca.gov/1532/Election-Information.