Learn more about Measure P to Protect and Maintain your Vital City Services

The Fiscal Situation

The City of South Gate, despite improvements in its fiscal responsibility, is operating paycheck to paycheck because of increased service demands from a growing population -- leaving the City, like many others in California, with inadequate funding to address essential public safety and service needs.

Over the past four years, the City has reduced the number of employees, consolidated departments and become more efficient in its operations. To date, these reductions have been made without impacting services to the community -- but unfortunately, reserves will soon be depleted.

Without new revenue, the City of South Gate will be forced to reduce essential services.

Public Safety Needs

Los Angeles and cities throughout our area are getting tough with gangs. We must hire more police officers -- especially anti-gang officers -- to keep gang members out of South Gate and prevent our City from becoming a haven for gangs.

If we had more officers, we could prevent crimes before they happen. Police are so busy responding to calls for assistance that they havelittle timefor patrol or community policing.

We must keep our children out of gangs and off drugs. We need to fund more school police officers, anti-gang and anti-drug prevention programs, and after school programs that help keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.

Solutions

The City has placed Measure P on the June 2008 ballot to protect and maintain critical City programs and public safety services. Without Measure P, other adequate funding options are not available.

Measure P is subject to tough accountability provisions and financial oversight through guaranteed annual independent audits, ensuring that funds are used efficiently, effectively and as promised to voters. Every penny of revenue from this measure is legally required to stay in our City and cannot be taken by Sacramento.

This Measure could be used to maintain and improve:

• Police services
• Emergency response times
• Youth anti-gang and anti-drug prevention programs
• Neighborhood graffiti removal programs
• Traffic flow and reduce congestion on city streets
• After-school tutoring and mentoring programs
• Senior Programs

Prescription medications and food purchased as groceries are exempt from sales tax.

Click Here for Facts, Questions and Answers About Measure P

(En Español) Click here for Facts, Questions and Answers About Measure P