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Dellums Seeks Cop Ballot Measure
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V Smoothe
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Last Updated on June, 19 2008 at 01:29 PM
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| Ending weeks of speculation, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums’s office asked
the City Council Thursday to place a special parcel tax for additional
police officers on the November ballot. The mayor’s unexpected request
irritated Councilmembers Ignacio De La Fuente and Jane Brunner, who said
that they have been working on a police services ballot measure of
their own for four months, and that they had not been invited by the
Mayor to participate in the crafting of his proposed ballot measure. |
Photo by V Smoothe
Ending weeks of speculation, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums’s office asked the City Council Thursday to place a special parcel tax for additional police officers on the November ballot. The mayor’s unexpected request irritated Councilmembers Ignacio De La Fuente and Jane Brunner, who said that they have been working on a police services ballot measure of their own for four months, and that they had not been invited by the Mayor to participate in the crafting of his proposed ballot measure.
Mr. De La Fuente said that he was not opposed to a tax increase for more police, but that he believed any measure brought before voters must have accountability and performance measures built in.
Mr. Dellums first floated the idea of such a tax in mid-May during a speech to a batch of new recruits at the Oakland Police Academy. At a news conference the following day, Mr. Dellums insisted that his remarks had been misinterpreted, and that he had not called for such a tax. Subsequent reports from the Mayor’s office claimed that nothing had been decided, but that the mayor was considering a ballot measure and working with the City Council on options.
Councilmember Larry Reid supported the initiative, saying, “At some point, given the climate in the city…we need to put this up and let the voters decide whether they want to tax themselves.”
The Committee delayed discussion of the item for one week, in order to give the City Council and the Mayor’s office an opportunity to coordinate proposals. Because of the postponement, no details of the Mayor’s proposal were presented to the City Council committee. Ms. Brunner said that she supports a ballot initiative that would fund 200 additional police officers, an addition that would cost roughly $50 million annually, and could cost homeowners as much as $250 per year. |
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OAKLAND
NEW
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