League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Diego County, CA June 8, 2010 Election
	Proposition J Transient Occupancy Taxes of Short Term Rentals City of Del Mar Majority Approval Required Fail: 623 / 43.4% Yes votes ...... 813 / 56.6% No votes See Also: Index of all Propositions

Arguments For Proposition J

Arguments Against Proposition J

Vote Yes on Proposition J + Short-Term Vacation Rental Measure. Your "Yes" vote on Proposition J will raise about $175,000 a year toward helping Del Mar pay for beach and park maintenance, fire safety and law enforcement. Instead of the citizens of our community shouldering all of these expenses, Proposition J proposes that vacationers who stay in short-term rentals pay their fair share. Proposition J allows for the collection of a transient occupancy tax (TOT) from visitors who stay for 30 days or less at vacation rentals other than at our local hotels and motels (such as guesthouses, condos and apartments). Hotel- and motel-room vacationers pay the TOT now when visiting Del Mar and, unlike other revenue sources, every TOT dollar collected in Del Mar remains in Del Mar. Vacationers staying in rental properties do not currently pay a TOT, even though these visitors use the same Del Mar amenities and services as hotel and motel guests. Unless we apply the TOT tax to all vacation renters, the tab for all the things these vacationers enjoy + police, fire and lifeguard protection, and beach and ocean-front park maintenance, among other city services + will continue to be paid by the citizens of Del Mar. Other North County coastal cities, including Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside, as well as Chula Vista, Escondido, Imperial Beach and San Diego charge a hotel tax on short-term vacation rentals. We should, too. Vote "YES" on Proposition J to ensure that all visitors pay their fair share of city services during their stay AND to ensure the continued financial health of your community. Please join us in voting "Yes" on Proposition J. RICHARD EARNEST, Mayor Del Mar City Council DONALD MOSIER Deputy Mayor Del Mar City Council CRYSTAL CRAWFORD Councilmember Del Mar City Council CARL HILLIARD Councilmember Del Mar City Council MARK FILANC Councilmember Del Mar City Council Rebuttal to Arguments For Increased tax burden on homeowners Del Mar homeowners are already paying plenty in property taxes to pay for services like police, fire and lifeguard protection. Proposition J would charge yet another tax just for renting a room to a friend or family member. The City's argument for this tax increase says it's a tax on visitors. But the likely reality is that homeowners will be writing checks to the City to cover this tax. The City doesn't need more money to maintain essential services. Revenues exceeded expenses in 2009 and are projected to do the same this year and the next. Prop J revenue could pay for employee salary and pension benefit increases The taxes collected from this measure are not restricted. They could end up being used to pay City employee salary and pension benefit increases. Not a penny is guaranteed to go toward the services outlined in the Council's argument. Are you breaking the law? If a family member or friend stays with you for 30 days or less and you get paid anything, you'll be breaking the law if you don't pay this new tax. You could even be subjected to government regulation and inspection of your personal property! If your property is deemed "unsafe," it could cost you thousands in repairs. The cost of policing these regulations could exceed the revenue it would generate. Vote NO on Prop J. Visit www.sdcta.org for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association Prop J analysis. JOHN HARADEN Del Mar Resident LANI LUTAR President & CEO San Diego County Taxpayers Association GARY GONSALVES, M.D. Co-Founder, Stop Taxing Us HERSHELL PRICE Del Mar Resident CAROL KATZ Del Mar Resident

The proposed Cottage, or home tax, will be a heavy tax upon our entire community. It is not only a tax; it is further regulation of our property. This tax measure will apply to every home in Del Mar, even if it is not being rented at the present time. Circumstances change in our lives. If any homeowner should have to rent their home in the future due to unexpected reasons, would we want this tax and regulation to be in place? It will be, if this proposition passes. If you decide to rent your home on a short-term basis + even for a week + you must complete an application, be approved, be issued an annual permit which must be paid for, you must comply with written regulations dictating the use, you must keep records, then collect and pay the tax to the city. Why should our homeowners be burdened by these unneeded bureaucratic requirements? Some homeowners rent their homes JUST TO HELP PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. The right to rent our homes on a short-term basis has been enjoyed without any problems or government regulation long before Del Mar was a city. The bureaucratic costs of administration and enforcement will likely exceed questionable projected revenue benefits. Short-term rentals are part of the fabric of Del Mar and have never needed regulation. This regulation will cause a loss of property rights we have always had. Once we give up our property rights by voting to regulate, it is almost impossible to get them back from government; they're gone forever. This tax will be enforced by internet snooping to check on just who is renting their home. Do we need more government intrusion in our lives? Stop this divisive and unwarranted tax. Vote NO on Proposition J. HERSHELL PRICE Del Mar Resident H. RANDALL STOKE Del Mar Resident JILL CAREY Del Mar Resident MERNA STURGIS Del Mar Resident ADMIRAL JACK BATZLER, Retired, USN Del Mar Resident Rebuttal to Arguments Against Proposition J is a proposed tax on tourists, not a tax on cottages or homes or on Del Mar homeowners. The proposition, called a transient occupancy tax or TOT, would require vacation rental guests who stay 30 days or less to pay the same tax that Del Mar hotel and motel guests currently pay. The tax is bourne by the tourist, not the homeowner. Why should tourists pay this tax? Tourists staying in short-term rentals use city services, including our beaches, parks, fire safety, and law enforcement and do not have to pay for them. Del Mar residents and businesses pay for these services, as well as hotel and motel guests who visit Del Mar. Proposition J is in the best interests of the citizens of Del Mar. This is a local tax. All of the funds collected from tourists stay in the City. It is one of the few ways Del Mar can have tourists help pay to fund services in our community. Who would be against Proposition J? Tourists who stay in these rentals. Without this proposed tax, they enjoy the benefits without paying their fair share of the costs of keeping our City safe and beautiful. It's only fair to treat all tourists the same way. Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Escondido, Imperial Beach, San Diego, and the County of San Diego all charge a TOT on vacation rentals. RICHARD EARNEST, Mayor Del Mar City Council DONALD MOSIER Deputy Mayor Del Mar City Council CRYSTAL CRAWFORD Councilmember Del Mar City Council CARL HILLIARD Councilmember Del Mar City Council MARK FILANC Councilmember Del Mar City Council