GLENDALE—After careful consideration and meetings organized with various members of the Glendale City Council and city staff, the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale Chapter on Friday announced its endorsement of Measure S–the Glendale Quality of Life & Essential Services Protection Measure.
Measure S was unanimously voted by Glendale City Council on July 17, 2018 to be on the November 6 ballot. If approved, Measure S would enact a 0.75% local sales tax, which would generate approximately $30 million each year in dedicated, local, City-administered funds.
Over the last two weeks, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter Board has been meeting with numerous city council members and city staff to thoroughly discuss the measure and its impact on the city. As a result of the meetings, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter decided to endorse Measure S and requested that a significant portion of the funds be used towards providing affordable housing to low-income residents, maintaining local parks, buildings, and community centers, and the implementation of youth programs would be in the Glendale City Council’s agenda.
The ANCA-Glendale Chapter Board also demanded to have a transparent auditing of the funds so that community will see how the funds are being accounted for. Strict accountability and public oversight are built into Measure S to verify that funds are spent effectively, including independent annual financial audits.
Per city officials, the Los Angeles County eventually plans to impose this same tax hike, but by the Glendale City enacting it in November, the city will ensure that the funds will go to the city instead of the county.
Therefore, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter urges all community members to vote for this measure in the upcoming November 6 election.
The ANCA–Glendale Chapter is a grassroots public affairs organization serving to inform, educate and act on a wide range of issues concerning Armenian Americans in Glendale.
