VISOKEY BACKS TAX FOR MORE DEPUTIES.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff WriterLANCASTER - Officially opening his re-election campaign, Councilman Andy Visokey said he has repeatedly voted against city tax and fee increases but supports the April 13 ballot measure to pay for hiring more sheriff's deputies. Visokey said he will personally vote for the $25 annual law enforcement parcel tax, but believes that the city, in compensation, should reduce another tax, such as the $80 landscape maintenance fee. ``Law enforcement needs to be our highest priority,'' said Visokey, a Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. contract administrator who has been on the council for six years and spent 6 1/2 years on the Lancaster School District Lancaster School District may refer to:
Visokey launched his campaign surrounded by family, friends and supporters, including Lancaster School District trustee Greg Tepe and Planning Commissioners Ron Smith Ron Smith may refer to:
In the field for the two City Council seats are Visokey and fellow incumbent Jim Jeffra, each seeking a third term on the council; and challengers Ted A.J. Kalnas, a fire captain; William Parris, an aerospace engineer; Charles Hansen, a business consultant; and Tim Rosen, an estate planner Estate Planner, a professional that creates an estate plan. This professional works with an estate owner to maximize their goals. This is a legal and tax specialty for an attorney or an accountant. . Mayor Frank Roberts Frank Roberts may refer to:
Visokey's opening news conference was on the cracked former parking lot of the shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into that once held Lancaster's Sears store. Torn down years ago after Sears moved to the Antelope Valley Mall The Antelope Valley Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Palmdale, California. Opened in September, 1990, its buildings take up around 1 million square feet (90,000 m²). Its physical main building, parking lots, and ring road businesses encompass an area a bit less than 0. in Palmdale, the center is due to be rebuilt with a Lowe's home-improvement store and a Walgreen's pharmacy. With the new Costco store open a mile south, Visokey said, ``I truly believe we will have a major retail center for the one-mile stretch east of 10th Street West between avenues K and L.'' While some Lancaster residents have complained about Lancaster's loss of stores while Palmdale's businesses are increasing, Visokey said Lancaster has been successful in attracting new employers, such as the 1,000-employee Countrywide home-loan servicing center. Visokey added: ``I refuse to get into a campaign where Lancaster and Palmdale are being compared. Quite frankly, when good things happen in Palmdale, they are good for Lancaster, and when good things happen in Lancaster, they are good for Palmdale.'' In six years on the council, Visokey said, he voted against two increases in landscape-maintenance fees, against an increase in streetlight fees and against increased pet license fees. He also voted against increasing city facility rental fees for nonprofit organizations Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. , he said. Visokey said he voted last fall in favor of a new fee on landlords who own more than one rental unit only after it was reduced to $65 a year for two units, plus $25 for each additional unit. That was down from the original $95 a unit. ``I felt that ... was a very reasonable compromise,'' he said. Visokey said he believes that Lancaster should add more sheriff's deputies beyond the eight authorized when the rental levy was approved last fall, with those financed by the proposed $25 parcel tax. The city should add an additional 10 beyond those, Visokey said. Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com |
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