City Staff Starts Campaign for LLAD Tax Hike

City Hall has launched a campaign, using public resources, to pressure Oakland property owners into voting for an increase in the Lighting and Landscape Assessment tax (LLAD).

At a March 21 meeting of a Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council in the Allendale district, chief of tree services Dan Gallagher made the false statement that "you fund tree pruning services along with your street lighting and all of your parks through the Landscape and Lighting Assessment District." Gallagher speculated there might be another LLAD tax vote and asked the residents to "vote in favor of it and encourage your neighbors to vote in favor of it."

Mr. Gallagher, who had been invited to discuss how residents could get sidewalk trees pruned, may have felt he should campaign for LLAD taxes when he noticed that councilmember Jean Quan's policy aide was present. The aide also spoke in favor of a LLAD tax increase. Councilmember Quan used City money last year to print and stuff a mailing in favor of a LLAD tax increase inside everyone's garbage bill.

In fact, general fund money, distinct from an extra LLAD tax, can be used for tree pruning as well as parks and street lights. Such money was the main funding for these purposes before the LLAD came into existence in 1989, and general funds are used along with LLAD revenues for parks and trees today.

The city council much prefers that voters pay one special assessment after another for basic services, freeing up money for political purposes. For example, last December the council took nearly half a million dollars to hire four more council staff; their job is to argue and negotiate policy issues with the new mayor's staff.

Favored developer Phil Tagami has received millions in City subsidies. His desires get priority over basic city services. Earlier this week the council agreed to pay parking lot owner Alex Hahn $2.7 million (up from $1.6 million offered in 2004) to acquire more acreage for Forest City development.

Meanwhile, voters did pass Measure Y taxes on the council's promise of more police, but Oakland has fewer police today than when the council wrote Measure Y.

The City has a $1.1 billion budget, including the redevelopment agency. There is more than enough money to provide at least 1,100 police, to maintain sidewalk trees, and to keep our parks clean. The problem is that the city council prefers to spend the money on anything except basic services, from panda bears to a palace library.

Last May and June the City conducted a mail-in ballot on its proposal to increase the LLAD tax. Voters looked at it and said no.

City Hall should accept the voters' verdict. At the Allendale meeting, staffer Gallagher attributed the defeat to the school district's vote under Randy Ward. He is wrong. Different categories of property owners vote with different weights when an assessment district is balloted. Homeowners, apartment owners, shop owners, churches, and hospitals all voted against increasing the LLAD tax, while the Port of Oakland – essentially the City voting for its own proposal – provided nearly half the votes that were for an increase.

There are only three Park Rangers today in a unit that once had 20 officers. Meanwhile, council hands subsidies to favored developers and asks for LLAD tax increase.

What part of "No" does the council not understand?

It was inappropriate when a City staff member, invited to speak about tree pruning services to a neighborhood crime prevention council, began with a campaign statement in favor of a LLAD tax increase.

Now the Parks Department has scheduled ten community meetings around the city in April and May. The topic is supposed to be "recreation programs and park maintenance." Pardon our suspicion, but these meetings smell like the beginning of a council-orchestrated campaign for a LLAD tax increase. If so, we demand a stop to City Hall telling voters how to vote. At the least, the City should arrange for an opponent of a tax increase to speak with equal time and presence at each of these meetings.