MOORPARK CONFIDENT VOTERS WILL OK TAX.Byline: Paul Paul, 1901–64, king of the Hellenes (1947–64), brother and successor of George II. He married (1938) Princess Frederika of Brunswick. During Paul's reign Greece followed a pro-Western policy, and the Cyprus question was temporarily resolved. O'Donoghue Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donnchadha ‘descendant of Donnchadh’, a personal name composed of the elements donn = ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + cath Daily News Staff Writer For the second time in two years, Moorpark plans to ask voters to approve a tax to help pay for city parks, but this time they have high hopes the proposal will win the needed support. Unlike Measure P in 1997, which garnered 56 percent of the vote but needed a two-thirds majority for approval, the mail-in ballots that will be sent to city property owners next month will require only a simple majority to pass. ``I think the majority of people here will support it,'' City Manager Steve v. t. 1. To pack or stow, as cargo in a ship's hold. See Steeve. Kueny said of the special assessment, estimated to cost $34 to $40 a year for the owner of a home valued at $200,000. Officials said the city's $6 million budget for fiscal 1999-2000 faces an $800,000 shortfall Shortfall The amount by which the capital required to fulfill a financial obligation exceeds available capital. Notes: Shortfall risk is often combated with an efficient hedging strategy created by a fund, group, institution, or individual. - including $600,000 from the parks department. Without extra revenue, the city's remaining 13 parks may have to be closed, just as Monte Vista Monte Vista can refer to
``The bottom line is that Moorpark has a very small operating budget Noun 1. operating budget - a budget for current expenses as distinct from financial transactions or permanent improvements budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead - the expense of maintaining property (e.g. , and when you take $600,000 out . . . it's too much,'' said City Councilman Chris Evans Ev·ans , Herbert McLean 1882-1971. American anatomist who isolated four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1922). . Unlike Measure P, in which all registered voters could vote, only the city's estimated 9,000 property owners will be eligible to vote in the special tax assessment election, said Mary Lindley, head of the city's Community Services Department, which oversees the city's parks. So even noncitizens and nonresidents will be allowed to vote as long as they own property within Moorpark, she said. Former Councilwoman Eloise Brown is among those opposed to the assessment, contending those who own more property will get more votes than others. ``I'm against it. It's essentially a weighted ballot,'' she said. ``My chief question is, Is my vote going to be as valuable as the person next door?'' Kueny said about half the city's general fund goes for policing, which doesn't leave much for other needs, such as salaries for the city's 40-or-so staffers, operations at the senior center and other expenses. Plus, the Sheriff's Department, which contracts with the city for law enforcement services, will seek an additional $300,000 in fiscal 1999-2000 to pay for cost-of-living increases, cars and other expenses, he said. While the city plugged the deficit last fiscal year by using savings, officials said that practice can't continue because the city doesn't have more money to spare. If the tax measure fails, the city faces stark choices, including trimming services, officials said. ``We're what's called a low-tax city,'' he said. ``Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. gets about $7 out of every $100 of total property taxes . . . Moorpark gets about $3.50.'' But Brown said that instead of the assessment, the city should try to attract more business and allow more residential development in order to widen wid·en tr. & intr.v. wid·ened, wid·en·ing, wid·ens To make or become wide or wider. wid  en·er n. the tax base and increase revenues.
``We need more businesses coming in, but business needs more customers,'' she said. In addition, she voiced concerns about the city's $55,000 contract with Shilts Consultants Inc., a Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern company hired to assist the city with passage of the measure. It will determine the assessment rates, tally the ballots and do the paperwork with the county. Shilts officials are slated to report details of the ballot package to the council next month, that will include how much to assess the property owners. The ballots likely will be mailed out soon afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here , allowing 45 days for them to be returned by June 16, said Kueny. Evans said that two years ago, when the parks bond initiative failed to achieve the two-thirds vote necessary for passage, the issue was not clearly explained to the voters, a problem he wants to avoid this time around. ``What was done poorly was the message was put out badly,'' said Evans. ``We were not increasing (people's) taxes by $40 a year; we were just maintaining what was already there.'' So far, he said, the public's reaction to the assessment is encouraging. ``We've had a tremendous amount of people coming forward supporting this,'' he said. |
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