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Measure T has dim future

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Friday November 10, 2000

 

Measure T, the street light tax, was the only tax measure which didn’t pass Nov. 7. Although it got 63.3 percent of the vote, the measure needed at least 66.66 percent of the votes. 

But Berkeley won’t go dark. 

“We’re not going to let the lights burn out,” Public Works Director Rene Cardinaux said. 

Instead the city will have to take funds from other projects, such as roads or sewers to keep up the lighting, Cardinaux said. Or take it from the General Fund, added Deputy CIty Manager Phil Kamlarz. 

There’s an annual shortfall of $300,000 which needs to be made up, Kamlarz said, adding, “We’ll talk to the council about it in the budget workshop on Monday.”  

The only other measure that could be in trouble is Measure Q, the fire equipment measure, which got 68 percent of the votes. There are still outstanding provisional and absentee ballots to be counted. 

The council is meeting Monday from 5-7 p.m. on the budget. Call 644-6480 for location.