By: Sebastian Echeverry
Staff Writer
In addition to electing three members of the city council on March 7, Signal Hill voters will get the chance to decide the fate of Measure F, a citizen’s initiative for a marijuana tax.
If the measure receives a “yes” vote, medical-marijuana facilities in Signal Hill would incur a 10-percent tax on monetary transactions, and license taxes would be doubled, with no sunset clause.
However, the measure is currently estimated to raise $0 annually because medical-marijuana facilities are not presently allowed in the city.
Signal Hill City Attorney David Aleshire’s analysis of Measure F, which is posted on the City’s website, reads, “The City does not currently allow medical-marijuana facilities, and Measure F does not allow them. If Measure F is approved, therefore, it is currently estimated to raise $0.00 annually.”
Jason Aula, the citizen who proposed Measure F, said that 50 percent of the tax revenue collected by the measure would be allocated to the Signal Hill Police Department and schools citywide. Measure F would affect businesses that plant, cultivate, harvest, transport, sell, manufacture, store, package or test marijuana.
On Aug. 8, 2016, the City received two filed petitions that concerned marijuana— Measure F and a medical-marijuana initiative.
Jeffrey Benson, a resident, proposed the second one, which would allow for medical-marijuana facilities to be placed in Signal Hill.
That initiative, however, did not acquire the necessary support from citizens to be placed on the ballot.
On the contrary, Measure F was able to rally enough signatures to earn a spot on the March 7 municipal ballot.
City councilmembers argued against the measure in a statement claiming that “Measure F does not make sense” because it “will not bring money to schools, police or city programs.”
The argument also states that no study was conducted to estimate how much money could be collected by imposing the 10-percent tax.
During a phone interview on Friday, Aula told the Signal Tribune that it is only a matter of time before medical-marijuana facilities begin to appear in Signal Hill.
“Facilities are going to exist no matter what,” he said.
During the interview, Aula referenced California Proposition 64 to support his beliefs about Measure F.
Voted into law in the November 2016 election, California Proposition 64 legalized recreational marijuana for persons aged 21 years or older under state law and established certain sales and cultivation taxes.
Signal Hill City Manager Charlie Honeycutt told the Signal Tribune on Tuesday that he could not advocate nor oppose proposed measures, but he believes nothing will change the current status of medical-marijuana facilities in the city no matter the measure’s outcome.
