Patch Poll: Where do you Stand on the Utility Tax?

The City's finance committee recommended that City Council combine two utility users taxes and add them to the November 2011 ballot at the Council meeting June 1.

Slated to sunset in November, these two utility taxes—a 3 percent tax expiring in 2013 and a 5 percent tax expiring in 2015—generate over 3.6 million a year or over 18 percent of the general fund, chair of the finance committee, Carrie Adrian, said at the meeting. 

Because of the 30 percent water rate spike set for January, the finance committee is advising the city to combine the two taxes. These taxes are used to fund city services, such as police and fire, into one 10-year tax reduced to 7.5 percent.

Public input was collected by the outside agency, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin Metz & Associates, who surveyed "351 randomly selected City of South Pasadena likely voters" from April 16 to 23.

Utility users taxes are slated to be discussed again at the July 6 City Council Meeting. 

Statistics from the survey can be viewed in the slides attached. What are your reactions to the results?