Posted on March 10, 2010

Fate of Richmond's Measure T Headed for State Court

By Katherine Tam
Contra Costa Times

RICHMOND — city officials will take their voter-approved manufacturers fee to state court for a ruling, after a county judge declared the ballot measure invalid.

The City Council voted 4-3 to appeal the county's decision to the state Court of Appeal. Tom Butt, Gayle McLaughlin, Jeff Ritterman and Jim Rogers voted yes; Nat Bates, Ludmyrna Lopez and Maria Viramontes voted no.

Measure T was approved in November 2008 and charges manufacturers a quarter-percent of the value of the raw materials they use each year if it is more than the annual business license fee they paid before the initiative was enacted. The measure was projected to generate at least $16 million annually, most of it from the Chevron refinery.

Chevron sued. A county judge ruled in December that Measure T is discriminatory.

Katherine Tam covers Richmond. Follow her at Twitter.com/katherinetam.