GLENDALE, CA–After studying the Utility Users Tax Reduction and Fairness Measure, Measure U, the Armenian National Committee of Glendale – Political Action Committee announced its opposition to the proposed measure citing insufficient specific information being provided to the public on how the funds raised would be used.
The measure, which the ANCG PAC urges citizens to vote “NO” on, would maintain utility taxes for Glendale residents by renewing the legal basis for the tax and expanding the number of technology services that would become taxable.
“Proponents of this tax have not given citizens adequate information or explanation about how the funds raised through this measure would be applied, in specific terms,” said ANCG-PAC Chairman Zanku Armenian. “Especially in these economically distressed times, it is the responsibility of the mayor and city officials to account for how taxes collected will be spent and in the absence of such accountability it is not possible to support this measure.”
Measure U seeks to update the city’s existing Utilities Users Tax (UUT) so that it can be applied equally to both older telephone technology and to newer telecommunications technology. While the measure is written in a misleading way to appear that it is reducing taxes from 7% to 6.5%, in reality citizens could end up paying more taxes because more items would be taxable. A vote of “NO” may ultimately eliminate the tax completely because the older version of the tax code will likely be challenged in court, as is happening in other cities.
ANCG-PAC’s opposition to Measure U comes two weeks after the committee announced endorsemen’s for all other offices including: Ara Najarian and Bob Yousefian for City Council; Rafi Manoukian for City Treasurer; Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian for City Clerk; Eric Sahakian and Christine Walters for GUSD Governing Board; Armine Hacopian, Anita Quinonez Gabrielian and Ann Ransford for Glendale Community College Board of Trustees.
For more information, or to find out ways you can get involved contact ANCG-PAC at 818.484-8417 or visit www.ancgpac.com.
ANCG-PAC is a non-partisan political organization, committed to promoting civic engagement and is active in a wide variety of activities including: voter registration, voter education, grassroots mobilization and endorsement of candidates seeking office in the City of Glendale.