Oakland, Calif., Council Votes Not to Collect Disputed Parcel Tax

The Oakland City Council has voted to defer collecting a new parcel tax for one year while it waits for a state court to rule on the disputed question of how many votes are needed to pass a tax measure.

The April 16 vote of 5-2, to delay for a year collecting the, tax folds into the arguments of when two-thirds voter approval is needed versus a simple majority, a question that likely will land before the California Supreme Court. Five lawsuits in three cities are cooking over the same issue, six if Oakland follows through with filing a validation ...