City Council Approves Resolutions Placing Rent Control Measure on November Ballot

The City Council on Monday adopted all three resolutions related a Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure that has qualified for the November 2022 General Election ballot.

All Councilmembers voted for the approval of the resolutions except for Mayor Victor Gordo, who recused himself from the voting.

The first resolution formally calls for the submission of the Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment, which would cap annual rent increases at 2-3%, to the city voters.

The second resolution sets priority order for the filing of written arguments for the measure and directs the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis, while the third resolution authorizes the filing of rebuttal arguments.

Prior to the adoption, the City Council revised the language as to the proposed question on the ballot.

The approved revised ballot question would read: “Shall an amendment to the Pasadena City Charter limiting rent adjustments in the City of Pasadena annually to 75% of the percentage increase in the Consumer Price index for multi-family rental units built before February 1, 1995; prohibiting evictions from rental units except for just cause based on 11 specified criteria; and creating an independent rental housing board appointed by the City Council to oversee and adopt rules and regulations, be adopted?”

Earlier, on July 18, the City Council had approved resolutions related to the inclusion of the Pasadena Public Library Services Continuation Measure on the November 8 General Election ballot.

At Monday’s meeting, the City Council approved the city’s printing of a supplemental voter guide to inform Pasadena voters about both the library measure and the rent control charter amendment.

“Los Angeles County’s voter guide tends to come out in mid-October. Ballots go out in the beginning of October so a lot of times their voter guide comes out after our ballots go out so if we want to use these documents to inform voters then we should have our own voter guide and make sure it gets out before the ballots get out,” City Clerk Mark Jomsky told City Council during his presentation.

According to city staff, the city’s anticipated costs for the placing of the measures on the November General Election ballot is expected to be approximately $300,000.

The estimated cost for printing a supplemental voter guide focused on the two city measures is an additional $150,000, for a total of $450,000.

Jomsky said sufficient funds are available in the City Clerk’s Fiscal Year 2023 Election budget to cover the expenses.