Property Owners Will Pick Up Tab for Alhambra Jail

The property owners of the city of Alhambra should be told that they alone shall pay, by my calculations, the $70 million in taxes for the proposed jail here in Alhambra. I will vote against this $70-million tax assessment (note the city does not call it a tax) as only property owners, and not tenants or renters, shall be forced to pay a penny for the jail.

The advisory election of Sept. 17 that the City Council has placed on the ballot does not mention how much this building shall cost. We read in the papers that the cost of the building will be $24 million (Times, Feb. 28), but do not be afraid to read that in fact the new building shall cost more than $70 million after the bonds are paid off in 30 years.

Our city fathers have said that all the property owner has to do is to raise rents and all will be well. I shall run my small business as I see fit and do not want any one to tell me to raise any rents. When I suggested these fees could be put on the utility bill, I was told that the city could not sell the assessment (tax) bonds unless the city could place a lien on our properties and thus only property owners pay.

The city has said that through this method of raising taxes they do not have to have a two-thirds majority in order to have this tax placed on the property tax that the county sends to property owners every year.

Please vote no on this measure. Federal taxes are going up, state taxes are going up, county taxes are going up, so make it clear to our City Council that we will not stand for a $70-million tax increase at the election on Sept. 17.

ROBERT J. HAYS Sr.

Alhambra