The following letter was received from Shirley Enomoto:
If you are a homeowner or property owner and thought you had a voice in the recent August 4th PBID (Emery Go Round) election, you are wrong.
I just completed tallying the votes: a total of 1,466 ballots were submitted. 350 voted YES approving the tax and 1,101 votes voted NO in opposition. The discrepancy in ballots submitted and ballots recorded was caused by boxes not checked or “image destroyed.”
City Hall advised that this tax was approved by 71%. They did not state 71% of the votes. What is/was not known is that large businesses and developers have a formula by which they voted and of course controlled the outcome whether anyone else voted or not. In my opinion this “election” was a sham, rigged and controlled. The official City of Emeryville ballot states “the proceedings for the proposed PBID ae being taken under the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994, Streets and Highways Code, and Title 3, Chapter 9, Article 1 of the City of Emeryville Municipal Code. The ballot process is required under Proposition 218 and Sections 53739 and 53750 and following of the Government Code.”
A public hearing was required “pursuant to the provisions of the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994, Article XIII D of the Constitution of the State of California and the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act.” This public hearing was held August 4, 2015, at 7:16 p.m., the same day that ballots were supposed to be submitted, not allowing voters ample time to research this tax.
I am trying to get a simple explanation from City Council members on the formula used on how the developers and large business owners were able to control the vote. So far I have not heard back.
I have complained all along I refuse to pay this tax which appeared on my property tax statement a few days ago.
Please contact your city council members if you agree with my assessment.
Shirley Enomoto has lived in Emeryville for 19 years and has been a "trouble maker"she says, to City Hall for as many years. A member of Residents United for a Livable Emeryville (RULE) and a long time volunteer for the schools, Ms Enomoto has also long rallied for fair treatment for senior citizens.
I agree with you Shirley, this tax is a sham perpetrated by our city council and in cahoots with the major businesses here. I wonder if there is a way to protest this tax without getting a lien on your property? The shopping malls, Pixar, and Wareham probably could have voted this increased tax in for themselves without the formality of the rigged election, now they want us to pay for their service. Even in the past, most newly city issued conditional use permits for businesses are required to pay in to the Emerygoround or that they would loose their permit (kind of like the mafia). Anyways, the people making the rules here in Emeryville would like to see you leave, so the tax base will grow with the new increased property value assessment so they can line their pockets some more. Do I sound bitter?
ReplyDeleteno, you sound smart. if others are as angry about this "election" as I am, please contact me through the tattler.
ReplyDeleteWe are angry, too, but weak. We have definitely been treaded on. There's an old saying, "Don't get mad; get even". We seek that recourse; but, only if it's legal.
ReplyDeletei'm working on it.
ReplyDeleteDear Emeryville rabble: In order to serve you better, the concept of 'one man-one vote' has been revised and replaced. Under our new system, it's still the old 'one-man one-vote' but with the added efficiency of one 'corporate entity-one hundred votes,' just to assure we don't suffer a tyranny of the populous. signed City Manager Patrick O'Queefe
ReplyDeleteHow can they even do this under Prop XIII? Shirley, I'm with you on this, I'm flabbergasted.
ReplyDelete