Patients Access to Medical Cannabis Act of 2008 makes November ballot

Berkeley leaders approve measures for property tax hike

By Kristin Bender
Oakland Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/09/2008 05:04:39 PM PDT

BERKELEY — Expect to pay about $100 more annually on your property tax bill
if two ballot measures — approved by city leaders Tuesday night — are passed
by Berkeley voters in the November election.

Yes, it's only July but the deadline for placing city measures and
initiatives on the Nov. 4 ballot is July 22. The Berkeley City Council
approved placing six measures on the ballot Tuesday, including two that
would raise taxes.

But proponents of raising taxes to fund city services might have an uphill
battle between now and November.

In 2004, Berkeley voters overwhelmingly shot down $8 million in measures
that sought to raise property taxes and utility bills to pump money into
libraries, police, fire and paramedic services as well as community agencies
that provide such things as after-school arts and sports programs, job
placement and money for weekend street festivals. City leaders in turn had
to make cuts in a variety of areas.

This time around, Berkeley will ask voters to approve a tax measure that
would pump $3.6 million into the city to help pay for overtime to keep fire
stations open, fund advanced life support for first-responder paramedics,
improve disaster preparedness with a better and more unified radio
communication system and beef up emergency medical services and paramedic
services.

Homeowners will pay roughly $78 a year while commercial building owners will
pay about $118 annually, according to a report from City Manager Phil
Kamlarz.

The fire department needs the extra revenue, said Adam Cook with the
Berkeley Fire Fighters union.

"Whether it's a fire in the hills, a large debilitating earthquake or some
other unforeseen disaster, we believe that this Fire Protection and
Emergency Response and Preparedness Tax takes us in the right direction to
make this community, together with its fire department, better ready and
able to take care of itself in the likely event of a disaster," Cook said.

In December 2006, the city temporarily closed fire stations in a cost-saving
move.

City leaders initiated the rotating closures of fire stations after
reviewing the budget and considering the alternative — to permanently close
one of Berkeley's seven fire stations.

The temporary closures are triggered when too many firefighters take
vacation or sick leave or cannot work because of jury duty, family leave or
injuries.

The city in recent years has spent an estimated $2 million annually on
firefighters' overtime, and is now trying to rein in the overtime to roughly
$1 million.

The council on Tuesday also gave the green light to put a $26 million
library bond on the November ballot.

"Berkeley Public Library's Branch Libraries have not been renovated in over
35 years, and they urgently need upgrading in order to be seismically safe,
accessible and truly functional," said Donna Corbeil, director of library
services. "Our well-used branch libraries are vital to Berkeley's
neighborhoods as the places for users of all ages to get valuable
information and recreational resources and to connect with their friends and
neighbors."

Money from the bond would go to renovating the city's four branch libraries.
Libraries would be expanded, made earthquake safe and given better disabled
access. All branch libraries will be expanded if the measure passes.

Also on the ballot will be the Patients Access to Medical Cannabis Act of
2008. It would eliminate limits on the amount of medical marijuana that
could be legally possessed by patients or caregivers, establish peer review
for medical marijuana collectives to police themselves and allow medical
marijuana dispensaries to locate where permitted without a public hearing.
The initiative originally called Measure R in 2004, failed by 191 votes, or
less than half a percent of the ballots cast.

An Alameda County Superior Court judge nullified the results due to
mishandling of a recount by Alameda County election officials, and ordered
the citizen-sponsored medical marijuana initiative back on the ballot for a
re-vote in 2008.

The Berkeley City Council also voted to add a citizen-initiative to the
November ballot that would require a public vote for any high-occupancy
vehicle lanes or transit-only traffic lanes in Berkeley in the future.

Voters will also consider two other measures, one related to redistricting
and one related to a city ceiling on spending for parks maintenance,
libraries and emergency services for severely disabled people. Those
measures would not raise taxes.


http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_9831295

Also on the ballot will be the Patients Access to Medical Cannabis Act of
2008. It would eliminate limits on the amount of medical marijuana that
could be legally possessed by patients or caregivers, establish peer review
for medical marijuana collectives to police themselves and allow medical
marijuana dispensaries to locate where permitted without a public hearing.
The initiative originally called Measure R in 2004, failed by 191 votes, or
less than half a percent of the ballots cast.

An Alameda County Superior Court judge nullified the results due to
mishandling of a recount by Alameda County election officials, and ordered
the citizen-sponsored medical marijuana initiative back on the ballot for a
re-vote in 2008.