16. General Fund Revenue
I support the proposed real property transfer tax to help fund more affordable housing. I appreciate the work the council is doing to help folks struggling with having stable housing, and a way to help fund those efforts is through a real property transfer tax.
In addition, I ask that whatever is placed on the ballot have a solely dedicated funding allocation for fire department infrastructure and operational needs.
In 2018, Pasadena voters approved a sales tax measure – Measure I – to fund city services. The ballot measure stated: “Shall an ordinance be adopted to maintain essential City of Pasadena services such as fire, police, paramedics, emergency service/response times; keep fire stations open; improve neighborhood and school safety; repair streets/sidewalks; address homelessness; maintain after-school programs/senior services, and other general fund services, by establishing a ¾¢ sales tax providing approximately $21,000,000 annually until ended by voters; requiring audits and all funds locally controlled?”1 Yet here we are almost a decade later discussing funding Fire Dept. needs, keeping fire stations open, fixing fire station crumbling infrastructure. In the year after the worst natural disaster to hit Pasadena nonetheless. Furthermore, we have no accounting of how much of Measure I went to fund Fire Department needs. In addition to Measure I, there was an additional measure J designating 1/3 of Measure I funds to PUSD schools. Why can’t something similar be set up for Fire department needs?
In contrast, the Police Department gets the lion’s share of the city budget in comparison to other departments, in addition to being eligible for millions of dollars in grants and federal funding. While the police department is able to obtain grants for surveillance equipment in the form of asset forfeiture, UASI, anti-terrorism...but the same funding opportunities are not afforded to Fire.
Its time we step up our allocation of grants and other funding to align with the large scale devastating risks we face like earthquake and fires. In addition, with the city hosting more large scale events and an expanding (and aging) population, we need to work towards having the resources for tomorrow. I don’t want to be back here in another decade hearing that the Fire Department need is retrofitting their fire stations...if we can do it for the Central Library, surely we can do it for the Fire Department.
I have concerns about the proposed parcel tax. It is estimated to be the highest potential annual revenue generator at about $30 million annually. However, the burden would overwhelmingly fall on the shoulders of residential property at 67%. We must not forget the other city increases placed on the shoulders of residents when budgets are already strained. I also have concerns of the trickle down effect on renters.
1 https://ballotpedia.org/Pasadena,_California,_Measure_I,_Sales_Tax_(November_2018)
16. General Fund Revenue
The increase demands placed on the city are somewhat in part due to increase of tourism and the ever-growing large scale events in the city. The costs should be spread across residents as well as visitors. For example, part of the TOT goes back to business marketing efforts, business aesthetics and contracting with companies for “intelligence” like foot traffic data.
I had hoped the discussions about vacancy taxes would be further along. Perhaps we could have avoided having the vacant St. Lukes building be used by the federal government for “Military Training” in the neighborhood devastated by the fires. Vacant properties bring a host of other issues, and could be better used for other means.
_______________
Yadi
Pasadena City Council Meeting
July 13, 2026
16. General Fund Revenue