When The City Attorney Would Not Stand Up For Water Ratepayers,
Attorney
Gerrie Schipske Did.
Gerrie assembled a legal team and three courts in California agreed that Measure M is unconstitutional. Long Beach must return the
$30 million dollars in water rate increases it took.
Learn why we need
Gerrie Schipske as
Our City Attorney
When the Mayor and City Council wanted to raise water utility rates by 12%, Gerrie Schipske stepped up and said "No."
Former Councilmember and long-time attorney, Gerrie Schipske knew that placing a 12% surcharge on water department funds was illegal. So Gerrie Schipske contacted a law firm dedicated to the premise that “local governments are not above the law and California taxpayers need protecting from unscrupulous local government spending.” Benink & Slavens had previously helped Gerrie Schipske stop the City from placing a fee on City water pipelines and then passing the fee onto water ratepayers. She knew the City needed to be stopped again from raising water rates.
Gerrie Schipske also contacted LBREPORT publisher Bill Pearl to get the word out.
Did Mayor And Your Councilmember Tell You Measure M Isn't A Tax? Compare Exactly What Council Voted To Approve When It Put Measure M On Ballot https://www.lbreport.com/news/may18/mtax1.htm?fb_comment_id=1666730070090366_1667889109974462
City Spent Nearly $100,000 For Political Consulting Firm To Design, Print and Send The Three "Informational" City Mailers You Likely Received On Measure M https://www.lbreport.com/news/jun18/fliers.htm
Att'y Benink With Co-Counsel Schipske, Rep'ing LB Water Dept. Users Lejins & Kimball, Submit This Legal Brief With These Arguments Urging L.A. Superior Court Judge Chalfont To Hold LB City Hall's Actions Unconstitutional -- Violating Prop 218 -- On "Measure M" Water Dept. Revenue Budget Transfer, Seek To Stop Portion Supporting City Hall Gen'l Fund Spending https://www.lbreport.com/news/sept19/watsuit.htm
Bombshell: Superior Court Rules Measure M (June 2018 Utility Revenue Transfer Enabling Current Level Of Mayor/Council Gen'l Fund Spending) Violates Prop 218
https://www.lbreport.com/news/jan20/propmrule.htm
Measure M
was found unconstitutional at trial and appellate court levels.
The California Supreme Court refused to review the decisions.
At anytime, the City Attorney could have advised the Mayor and City Council to stop imposing the 12% surcharge and stop transferring the money to the general fund.
But either the City Attorney did not advise or the Mayor and City Council did not listen because now the City owes
$30.9 million dollars to the rate payers of Long Beach.
Vote for Gerrie Schipske for City Attorney.
What can you do now?
Paid for and authorized by
Gerrie Schipske for City Attorney
FPPC#1446043
Paid for and authorized by
Gerrie Schipske for City Attorney
FPPC#1446043
www.gogerrie.com