OJAI : Council Challenges Recreation Initiative
Saying that the city would lose control of determining its budget if a recreation initiative passes, the Ojai City Council has filed suit asking that the Ventura County Superior Court remove the measure from the November ballot.
The initiative would force the city to spend at least $165,000 on recreation programs and an additional $125,000 on new recreational projects, no matter what the city’s financial situation is. The initiative also proposes raising the city’s hotel tax from 10% to 12%, a move hotel owners fear would turn away tourists.
City Manager Andrew Belknap said that locking in the city to a set level of recreation funding would have repercussions down the road.
“Something would have to give,” he said. “We don’t have an extra $125,000 a year. We’d either have to raise taxes or cut some other services.”
The initiative was circulated by residents who were angry that the council turned down funding for a skateboard park last spring. They have gathered more than enough signatures to put the issue to a vote and say residents should decide how the council spends its money.
A hearing on the petition is expected in early August.
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