Citizens Panel to Seek Police-Fire Office Tax

Burbank City Councilman Robert R. Bowne announced on Thursday the formation of a citizens committee to rally support for a tax measure on the November ballot to finance a joint police and fire department headquarters.

Bowne said the new headquarters are essential to replace the two deteriorating buildings that house the departments.

Measure D, which was placed on the Nov. 5 special election ballot by the City Council, asks voters to approve an excise tax to raise revenues for the city’s general fund to finance the $44-million headquarters.

Under the measure, residents would be charged $3.58 a month and businesses $2.02 a month. Senior citizens, the disabled and “all persons similarly exempted from other general taxes of the city” would not have to pay the tax, officials said.