BERKELEY BALLOT MEASURES

Berkeley voters will decide on 13 ballot initiatives covering
nuts-and-bolts issues such as the city budget and property taxes, as
well as "only in Berkeley" items such as decriminalizing prostitution
and easing marijuana laws.

The three most controversial -- lessened enforcement of prostitution
laws, medical marijuana and an ordinance to protect the city's public
trees -- were put on the ballot by citizen initiatives, each having
gathered more than the 2,007 verified signatures required to qualify.

'Angel's Initiative'

The initiative that has attracted the most attention nationally is the
prostitution measure, called "Angel's Initiative" by its sponsors in
memory of Angel Lopez, a prostitute murdered in San Francisco in 1992.
It would direct police to give enforcement of state prostitution laws
their lowest priority, require police to report any prostitution busts
they make to the City Council, and direct the city to lobby for repeal
of the state prostitution laws.

The measure has met with resistance, particularly in southwest
Berkeley, where neighborhood groups have been complaining for years
about prostitutes in the area.

Robin Few, founder of the Sex Workers Outreach Project, which
sponsored the measure, maintains it will help solve the problem by
getting the sex workers off the streets and inside.

Medical Marijuana

Another controversial measure will give Berkeley the most liberal law
in the country regarding medical marijuana: no limit on the number of
marijuana plants a patient can grow, rather than the current limit of
10.

It would authorize medical marijuana collectives to police themselves
through a peer review group process, and allows new medical marijuana
dispensaries to open as a matter of right, rather than having to go
through the permit process, which includes a public hearing.

This measure is also expected to face opposition in southwest
Berkeley, represented by council members Margaret Breland and Maudelle
Shirek, who killed it when it came before the council last month. They
predicted their neighborhoods would bear the brunt of the impact,
pointing out that four of the five medical marijuana dispensaries
currently operating are located in that area.

Tree commission

A grass-roots campaign by environmentalist Elliot Cohen put a measure
on the ballot aimed at protecting the city's public trees. It calls
for a tree commission, with members appointed by the City Council and
the four city commissions that impact trees: planning, parks,
waterfront and landmarks.

The commission would regulate the planting, alteration or removal of
public trees, encouraging the planting of native species. Any
developer whose project impinges on a public tree would be required to
file a Tree Impact Report.

This measure is expected to face opposition in the hills, where some
residents fear it would restrict their ability to trim trees that
obscure their view of the Bay, a charge Cohen denies.

New taxes

Of concern to many property owners are four tax increases that the
city is depending on in order for its balanced budget plan to work
without further trims to city services:

* A library tax that aims to cover the library's $1.6 million
two-year deficit by raising the parcel tax an average of $41.

* An increased emergency medical services tax that would close a $2
million two-year deficit by raising parcel taxes an average of $79.

* A youth services tax that seeks to fund youth programs, including
summer camps, literacy programs, after-school programs, crossing
guards, school-based police officers and violence prevention by
raising the tax on property transfers by 0.5 percent on transfers over
$600,000 and 1 percent on transfers over $1 million.

* A utility users tax that would add $2.9 million to the general
fund by hiking the tax on gas, electricity, cell phones, telephone and
cable use in the city by 1.5 percent, or approximately $60 per year
for an average consumer.

In addition, the Berkeley School Board placed an initiative on the
ballot that seeks to raise $8 million for the city's public schools
via a property tax hike that would cost on average $184 per year for
property owners.

If all five tax hikes pass, an average homeowner would pay an
additional $310 per year.