Citizen About Town

By Nancy C Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

Email: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Monterey Park voters will have elections for Councilmembers in District 1, District 3 and District 5 as well as city wide elections for our City Clerk and our City Treasurer in November.

We will have a very important Ballot Measure asking the voters to increase our sales tax from 9.50% to 10.25% the highest sales tax currently allowed by California State Law.

Monterey Park and Rosemead are the only cities in Los Angeles County that have a 9.50% sales tax while other cities charge a 10.25% sales tax.

Currently Monterey Park only receives 1% of our sales tax back from the State and County to be used for our city services.

Monterey Park employees have had multiply meetings to explain our sales tax issues to all of the business owners and residents.

A survey has been done on who shops and dines in our hometown.  The survey stated that 51% of these people are not residents of Monterey Park.

If we have a higher sales tax of 10.25% then we would receive an additional .75% to added back into our General Fund that neither the State or County could keep.

Please consider voting Yes to increase our sales tax as Monterey Park needs the additional funds to run our hometown.

The Monterey Park candidates are still pulling their paperwork and asking people to sign their Nomination papers.

Councilmembers in District 1 can only have registered voters in their district sign their paper work.

Councilmembers in District 3 can only have registered voters in their district sign their paper work.

Councilmembers in District 5 can only have registered voters in their district sign their paper work.

Our City Clerk and our City Treasurer are running at large so any registered voters in Monterey Park can sign their paper work.

There will be a Meet the Candidates’ Forum scheduled in September. So please meet all of the Candidates running for office in Monterey Park.

Please remember that all Five Councilmembers are responsible for running our hometown not just in their Districts.

Rosemead just had their Council Elections in June. San Gabriel, Alhambra and Monterey Park are having their Council Elections in November.

Most of us vote to elect our Senators and Congressmembers to help us to govern our United States of America.

Most of us vote to elect our State Senators and Assemblymembers to help us to govern our homes state of California.

Occasionally,  we meet these elected officials at city or country events and ask for their assistance on solving any issues we may have to deal with in our neighborhoods.

The most important people you elect into office are your local Councilmembers who you can approach with any questions and any issues in your city for their assistant.

We now realize that Elections have consequences and we must be careful of the candidates we elect into office.

Please vet your candidates before the November Election as we need strong and resourseful people to keep our United States of America “the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.”