ANCA-Glendale Endorses Measure S

October 12, 2018

GLENDALE – After careful consideration and meetings organized with various members of the Glendale City Council and city staff, the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale Chapter on Friday announced its endorsement of the Glendale Quality of Life & Essential Services Protection Measure, also known as Measure S.

Measure S was unanimously voted by Glendale City Council on July 17, 2018 to be on the November 6 ballot. If approved, Measure S would enact a 0.75% local sales tax, which would generate approximately $30 million each year in dedicated, local, City-administered funds.

Over the last two weeks, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter Board has been meeting with numerous city council members and city staff to thoroughly discuss the measure and its impact on the city. As a result of the meetings, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter decided to endorse Measure S and requested that a significant portion of the funds be used towards providing affordable housing to low-income residents, maintaining local parks, buildings, and community centers, and the implementation of youth programs would be in the Glendale City Council’s agenda.

The ANCA-Glendale Chapter Board also demanded to have a transparent auditing of the funds so that community will see how the funds are being accounted for. Strict accountability and public oversight are built into Measure S to verify that funds are spent effectively, including independent annual financial audits.

By increasing the sales tax to the county cap of 10.25% (from 9.5%), the funds generated would stay local and not be diverted by similar county and regional tax measures. Therefore, the ANCA-Glendale Chapter urges all community members to vote for this measure in the upcoming November 6 election.

The ANCA–Glendale Chapter is a grassroots public affairs organization serving to inform, educate and act on a wide range of issues concerning Armenian Americans in Glendale.