Huntington Beach City Council considers adopting positions on 2 state propositions
The Huntington Beach City Council will consider adopting formal positions on two statewide propositions during its meeting Monday night.
An agenda item asks the City Council to adopt positions opposing Proposition 15, concerning the taxing of commercial and industrial property, and supporting Proposition 22, concerning app-based drivers, as recommended by the City Council Intergovernmental Relations Committee.
Members of the subcommittee include Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta and Councilmen Patrick Brenden and Erik Peterson.
To adopt the resolutions, however, the City Council would first have to vote to temporarily set aside a section of a 1976 resolution regarding statewide ballot propositions. That section states that the City Council “shall take no stand, neither pro nor con, with respect to any statewide ballot proposition.”
With incumbent Mayor Lyn Semeta and Councilman Patrick Brenden not running, the race offers intrigue.
Proposition 15 would increase funding sources for schools and local governments by requiring commercial and industrial property be taxed based on current market value, instead of purchase price. Owners of properties with combined values of $3 million or less would be exempt.
Proposition 22 would define app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.
The subcommittee’s conclusion regarding Proposition 15 was that the new split roll tax system would “place an undue burden on local businesses and our economy.”
The subcommittee supports the latter proposition “in recognition of the need for app-based rideshare and delivery companies to manage their operations and provide flexibility in employee classifications.”
Other Orange County City Councils have also considered adopting resolutions opposing Proposition 15. The city of Orange did so on Sept. 8, while Irvine Mayor Christina Shea and Councilman Anthony Kuo proposed a similar measure.
Irvine ultimately elected to stay neutral and not go ahead with a formal resolution against Proposition 15.
“I think to create a sense of peace and harmony in our city, let’s let the individuals in our community vote on this as they see fit,” Shea said during the Sept. 8 Irvine City Council meeting.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
Also on Monday’s Huntington Beach City Council agenda is a request from Mayor Pro Tem Jill Hardy to consider the appointment of Councilwoman Kim Carr as the Mayor Pro Tem for the remainder of the year.
Monday’s City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. and can be watched on channel HBTV-3 or online at huntingtonbeach.legistar.com. Residents may send comments on agenda items to supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org.
Communications received by 2 p.m. Monday will be distributed to the council prior to consideration of agenda-related items.
The council chambers will not be open for in-person attendance to provide public comment due to COVID-19, and residents are encouraged to submit comments via Zoom.
The Webinar ID is 971 5413 0528 and can be reached via the Zoom app or by calling (669) 900-6833 and entering the ID. Individuals will be placed in a holding queue and prompted to speak when the city clerk announces their name or the last three digits of their phone number.
Time for remarks is limited to three minutes.
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