Voters Get Extension to Decide Fate of Park Maintenance Levy
Compton is giving city property owners an extra two weeks to decide whether they want to continue paying $33.23 a year to help maintain the city’s 12 parks.
City officials have extended a deadline to July 15 for nearly 20,000 ballots that were originally to be mailed or delivered to City Hall by June 30.
Compton public information officer Arlene W. Williams said the deadline was moved because some voters misunderstood the measure. It was also extended because of public notice requirements, she said.
“There was a lot of concern. People thought that [the measure] meant an increase of taxes when it didn’t,” Williams said.
About $650,000 of the city’s park landscaping funds were put in jeopardy in November when voters statewide passed Proposition 218, which requires that such taxes be decided by voters.
Compton officials said they would be forced to pay for park maintenance out of the city’s general fund if the ballot measure fails.
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