HUNTINGTON BEACH Measure Z is either a progressive step toward much-needed pension reform or an errant political play that will leave Huntington Beach making drastic cuts to some city programs and services – depending on whom you ask.
City Council members on Monday discussed an overview of the impact the city could face if voters approve Measure Z come November. City staff said cuts would be across the board and could mean less police and fire services and closing some library branches, among other impacts.
If approved, the measure would put an end to the property tax assessment that brings in about $4.2 million and goes to pay for some city employee pension costs. The tax was approved in 1966 and applies to all city employees.
Opponents of the measure say weathering a multi-million dollar hit to the city’s already-strained budget is irresponsible governing ,while proponents say the move is needed to start seriously addressing ballooning public employee pension costs.
“These cuts will only come in to play if the council and future councils fail to stand up for the tax payers and continue to do business as usual,” said Mayor Don Hansen, who spearheaded the effort to get Measure Z on the ballot.
Councilman Keith Bohr on Monday advocated for a “no” vote, calling the potential impact a deep “self-inflicted wound”.
“These cuts aren’t scare tactics, it’s the reality,” Bohr said. “This is absolutely the wrong way to go about this.”
The city collects .015 on every $100 of assessed property value. On a property worth about $500,000, residents can expect to pay $75 a year to fund retirements, officials said. After Proposition 13 was passed in 1978, the city could no longer collect this tax for any employees hired after 1978.
City Council members voted in August to put a cap on the tax to ensure it could not be increased by future councils.
Hansen pushed for support for the measure Monday and said he gave employees an opportunity to cut the tax assessment in half and pay more into their pensions.
“The offer was this: instead of filing the petition … we’d all reach across the aisle and compromise,” he said. “I was told, ‘we will meet you at the ballot box’.”
Some council members have said they believe the employees have shown a good faith effort to start making changes and pay more into their pensions, including stepping forward to give $1.7 million back to the city this year.
Department heads briefed council members on some of the potential cuts they could see if Measure Z goes through.
Police Chief Kenneth Small said the department would have to get rid of six crime scene investigators, weekday foot patrol officers in downtown and the daily Bella Terra foot patrol officers, among other possible cuts.
“We have tried to maintain minimum staffing in uniform patrol but to do that we continually eliminate specialized jobs,” Small said. “(The department) is a pretty pale and sickly version of itself.”
Fire Chief Patrick McIntosh said the Fire Department could see the elimination of the search and rescue team and the loss of some volunteer programs such as CERT and RACES, among other cuts.
Getting rid of a marine safety officer, losing the Main Street and Helen Murphy library branches and cutting maintenance services for some city facilities were also listed as other possible losses.
But Hansen countered saying cutting into city services and programs is not the only option; getting employees to bear more of the brunt of pension costs could cover any losses if Measure Z is approved.
“(The argument) has been manipulated to cover everything,” he said. “The taxpayers are done with this and they’re also done with intimidation and scare tactics.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7953 or jfletcher@ocregister.com