Yucca Valley town staff and council members stressed at Tuesday’s meeting that the proposed citizen’s initiative for a half-cent sales tax for the sewer project is premature and needs major revisions. Managing editor Tami Roleff explains…
The sales tax initiative proposes to lower the cost of the sewer assessments for town residents, but there currently is no assessment since the results of the assessment district vote will not be announced until next week. In addition, the council learned that the initiative did not contain any legal language about how the tax proceeds would be administered or implemented, and that it was the state that doled out tax proceeds, not the town. Lori Herbel, who is a spokeswoman for the sales tax initiative, said the committee was willing to work with the town. “Any technical language that is required by the town, our committee will be happy to comply, and we will re-submit the initiative. The sewer is the greatest challenge that Yucca Valley has ever faced. This is a fiscal crisis…. We are more than willing to work and to make sure that we are in compliance with what the town wants.” The council voted unanimously on a motion made by Merl Abel. “Recommend that they withdraw their current petition and then suggest that we would work together with them on a mutually supportive revenue measure.”
