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Adelanto council approves ballot language to update 1988 business license tax
Summary
The City Council voted to place a revised business license measure on the November ballot that would replace the city's flat 1988 business license tax with a gross-receipts structure, estimated by staff to raise about $1.2 million annually for the general fund; councilers spent extended time rewriting the ballot question to keep it clear and legally compliant.
The Adelanto City Council voted July 24 to submit revised ballot language asking voters to update the city's 1988 flat business license tax to a gross-receipts model that would charge businesses by size and is projected to add about $1.2 million annually to the city's general fund.
Julio Morales, the city's presenter on the measure, said the current flat-fee system has not been updated since 1988 and that a category-based gross-receipts approach is both more equitable and easier to administer. "This new structure serves to create a more equitable tax environment where businesses contribute proportionally to their generated revenues," Morales said while explaining proposed categories and rates.
The council spent substantial time refining the 75-word ballot question and debating wording choices intended to make the measure clearer for voters. Council members objected to technical terms such as "equitable" and the phrase "but not limited to," arguing they can confuse voters and create room for opposition messaging. Mayor Reyes and Mayor Pro Tem Ramos pushed for phrasing that emphasized the change from a 1988 flat rate and that the update would ask larger businesses to pay a fairer share.
Two members of the public spoke in favor: Savannah Evans praised staff work and urged the city to budget for voter education, and Dr. Gil Kaye Nunn, who identified himself as acting city treasurer, said the measure corrects a long-standing gap in the local tax base. "Small businesses shouldn't pay the same share as large businesses," Dr. Kaye Nunn said, urging the council to move the measure forward so voters can decide.
City attorney Todd advised the council on legal form, including that the ballot question should start with "Shall" and end with "be adopted," and that edits must fit election-code constraints and county deadlines. Staff said August 9 is the date by which prepared arguments must be valid for submission; rebuttal deadlines run to August 19.
After amendments and lawyer review, the council moved and seconded the language and voted to forward the question to the county registrar for placement on the November ballot. The council also agreed to reconvene next Wednesday for any remaining agenda items and to finalize ancillary materials and outreach planning.
If approved by voters, staff estimated the change would boost the city's general fund by about $1.2 million per year; the measure would shift collection toward a gross-receipts basis and away from the flat-fee system in place since 1988. The council did not adopt a sunset provision; staff said the proposal is not limited in duration.
The council directed staff to prepare informational materials within the constraints of election law—staff may provide factual information but cannot use public funds to advocate for or against the measure.
The council's next regular meeting is Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.; the item will return if further ballot-language refinement or formal informational materials are needed.
