Politics & Government
10% UUT vs. 12% UUT: What's the Difference?
Sierra Madreans currently pay a 10 percent Utility Users Tax … how much more would it cost you if the UUT were raised to its authorized 12 percent?
The Utility Users Tax has been a hot topic in Sierra Madre over the last few months due to ballot Measure 12-1, which would extend the UUT rate increase (which, at its max, would be 12-percent) to 2018.
The city says that the difference between a 10-percent UUT (the current rate) and a 12-percent UUT for a typical household is $9.00 per month. Check out their chart, then let us know how it compares to your bills.
Utility Avg. Monthly Bill 6% UUT 8% UUT 10% UUT 12% UUT Phone $120 $7.20 $9.60 $12.00 $14.40 Electricity $125 $7.50 $10.00 $13.00 $15.00 Natural Gas $45 $2.70 $3.60 $5.00 $5.40 Water $46 $2.76 $3.68 $5.00 $5.52 Sewer $22 $1.32 $1.76 $2.00 $2.64 CATV $56 $1.36 $4.48 $6.00 $6.72 Refuse $26 $1.56 $2.08 $3.00 $3.12 Total $440 $26 $35 $44 $53Chart provided by the City of Sierra Madre
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Is this an accurate reflection of your monthly bills?
If Measure 12-1 passes next week, the UUT will be set at 10-percent until July 1, 2013. After that, the maximum collection rate will be 12-percent until June 30, 2018, unless the City Council decides to set a lower rate on or before August 1 of any year. After 2018, the UUT would drop to eight percent in 2019, then six percent in 2020.
Find out what's happening in Sierra Madrefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Money from the UUT goes into Sierra Madre's General Fund, which funds police, fire, paramedics and "all non-restricted fund activities of the city."
Measure 12-2 is an accompanying advisory measure to 12-1, which asks that the City Council use all UUT monies to fund public safety.
Do you support Measures 12-1 and 12-2?
A Little UUT Background
Under current law, the city can raise the UUT to 12-percent until July 2014, when the UUT will start to “sunset” by two-percent every year until it falls back down to six-percent. The City Council can also set a lower UUT rate if it sees fit.
The UUT was first collected in Sierra Madre in 1993, and was set at six-percent until 2008, when voters approved Measure U- the UUT increase.
Need more UUT info? Check out .
Correction: this article was edited to clarify the UUT collection rate if Measure 12-1 is passed.