Arcadia voters consider extending hotel-room tax in the ballot Measure D. It is meant to close a loophole in a city ordinance on the transient tax. Currently, the city imposes a tax rate of 10% of the rent paid by guests to occupy a room up to 30 consecutive days. If the measure passes by a majority vote, the occupancy tax would be imposed the first 90 days of a stay.
Measure A would increase sales tax by .75% to bring local Arcadia sales tax rate to 10.25%. It will be placed on a June 4 mail-in ballot. If passed, Measure A would yield about $8.6 million annually, which would be dedicated to keeping city services at the levels residents have come to appreciate.
The county unemployment rate climbed to 5.8% in May, but is still lower than the 6.8% rate of a year ago. Arcadia has 800 people unemployed, or 2.9% rate of unemployment.
State and county job rates hold steady but every San Gabriel Valley city saw its unemployment rate drop in September. Chart shows that Arcadia has 2,000 unemployed, or a rate of 7.2% and numbers for nearby cities.
With a slight increase in unemployment in March, the state of California reached a post-Great Depression jobless rate high of 12.6%. Los Angeles County's unemployment rate remained locked at 12.4% from February to March. Economists say unemployment has hit bottom. The jobless rate for Arcadia in March, 2010 was 7.1%, or 1,900 people unemployed. A chart shows numbers for nearby cities.
Arcadia seeks to extend the right to collect cell phone usage tax. Officials plan to hold a special election in May or June in 2009 for a ballot measure. If communicated to voters correctly, it should pass, because it would not raise the tax but protect the city's revenues. At stake is about $1 million in yearly revenue. To do that, voters must allow the city to legally redefine what a telecommunications tax is. Recent court rulings have suggested cities cannot tax cell phone use by relying on older telecommunications tax ordinances.
Los Angeles County's unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent in December 2005, up from 5.1 percent the previous month but down from 6.5 percent a year ago. Arcadia has a 2.7 percent jobless rate.
Unemployment rates in Los Angeles County dropped to a record low in October. Countywide, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent last month. Arcadia and several other San Gabriel Valley communities had unemployment rates below 3%.
Los Angeles County's unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in November, down from 4.3 percent the previous month and 5.3 percent a year earlier. Arcadia's jobless rates appears on the chart at 2.1 percent, along with rates for other cities.
The Insurance Services Office, which rates fire departments, awarded the Arcadia Fire Department a "Class One" rating, making them one of only 16 departments in the country with that rating.
Voters max out Arcadia sales tax. Huge lead for Measure A pushes levy to 10.25% ceiling set by state. The election was conducted exclusively by mail. The vote was for a .75% sales tax increase to bring the tax from 9.5% to 10.25%. This hike could bring in $8.6 million annually to keep city services, especially public safety, at current levels.
An Arcadia woman has been charged with federal tax violations for her alleged role in a Monterey Park insurance scam that is the largest ever uncovered. Catherine Huang is accused of conspiracy and filing a false tax return.
Arcadia considers rate tiers for water use. Santa Anita Park race track, Los Angeles County Arboretum, Westfield Shoppingtown, and the two golf courses are Arcadia's biggest users. The tiered rate structure means that users would be charged more per gallon once they cross certain thresholds.
Unemployment rates hold steady at 12.6% in the county even though Los Angeles County added 29,000 jobs last month. Many San Gabriel Valley cities saw their unemployment rates remain unchanged. Chart shows that Arcadia has 2,000 unemployed, or a rate of 7.2% and numbers for nearby cities.
Tracking Coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles cases total 225,827 with 1,956 new cases. Los Angeles deaths is at 5,392 with 61 new deaths. Arcadia city has 410, at the rate of 710 per 100,000. Unincorporated Arcadia has 78 cases, at the rate of 977 per 100,000.