EDITORIAL: Measure U to help future

Glendale prides itself on being nicknamed the Jewel City. If voters pass Measure U on Tuesday, though, it won’t be the only jewel in the crown.

Throughout the region, a number of cities — including Bellflower, Carson, Cudahy, Gardena and Redondo Beach — have approved updates to their Utility Users Tax, which expanded tax codes to include new telecommunications technology. Glendale’s measure would do the same, implementing taxes for emerging technologies while preserving the old ones for land lines, cell phones, cable and other services.

For Glendale, though, there’s a bit of a carrot-and-stick approach. Measure U would likely bring a number of new taxes on many residents, but the city is also proposing to lower the Utility Users Tax from 7% to 6.5%, which, hopefully, should lead to residents paying roughly the same amount as before.

Also, city officials have speculated that if the measure fails, the $8.9 million Glendale makes every year from the Utility Users Tax could be subject to legal challenge.

With that in mind, we support a yes vote Tuesday on Measure U. Glendale has made strides in recent years to be one of the cutting-edge cities in Los Angeles County, with the opening of the Americana at Brand and the planned revitalization of the south end and San Fernando Road.

Let’s continue thinking forward and bring the city up to speed with new technology.