Property owners overwhelmingly rejected the city's $2.2 million tax increase Tuesday, casting "no" votes by a 2 -to- 1 margin against the Fire Suppression District.
Incumbents Sheng Chang and Barbara Kuhn failed in their bids for re-election to City Council as voters gave first-time candidate Gail Marshall, former Mayor Roger Chandler and council appointee Gary Kovacic the nod for the next four years. Gino Roncilli came in well ahead of former Mayor George Fasching for the two year seat. Voters also gave thumbs down to Measure A, a ballot initiative that would have added 2 percent to the current 5 percent utility tax for the next four years.
William Howard "Bill" Lewis, 50, a longtime Arcadia resident and community leader, died Friday at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia following a heart attack.
Santa Anita Park race track sold to Frank Stronach, a Canadian billionaire businessman and horse owner. The property is valuable to the city for sales tax reasons.
As part of a plea agreement, Jack Howard Colnot II of Arcadia pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $89,000 in soccer league funds. He will be sentenced to five years probation and ordered to repay the money.
The City Council voted to allow the developer, Anoakia Oaks, to proceed with the tearing down of Anoakia, the 1913 Anita Baldwin mansion, and to build 31 houses on the property.
The City Council has unanimously opposed the Arcadia Police Relief Association's proposals for a work week make up of 3 8-hour days, a 1.5% pay increase, and payment for time spent on-call.
Santa Anita Companies have submitted a down-scaled entertainment complex with the new proposal for developing the South parking lot of the Santa Anita Park race track property.
In an attempt to produce permanent revenue enhancement, the City Council has agreed to go to ballot with a Fire Suppression District assessment which would ask property owners to tax themselves to achieve a balanced budget.
The City Council approved an ordinance that will limit houses built in the future to a height of 30 feet or less and increase side-yard setbacks to put more space between the property line and the building. (Complete information of the exact stipulations is included in this article.)
The city budget passed unanimously on Tuesday night and included the elimination of 9 full-time employee positions, an increase in paramedics fees and a one-year, 1 percent utility tax increase.
The citizens group Neighbors for Arcadia said Wednesday it will take the fight against Santa Anita Entertainment Center to voters with a ballot initiative.
The Anoakia School, soon to be renamed the Anita Oaks School, won a victory against staunch opponents of the relocation when the Duarte City Council unanimously approved the move to property owned by New Life Assembly of God Church.