2019 Highlights
COMMUNITY EVENTS
2nd Annual Eco-Friendly Fair (100 fruit trees given away) and two Clutter Free, Paramount large-item disposal events (nearly 900 residents participated).
Heritage Festival relocated to downtown, Paramount Blvd. turned into a giant street fair.
Friday Night Market begins next to Civic Centerfood booths, arts, entertainment, quickly becomes a huge hit.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PUBLIC SAFETY
Opinion poll shows 66% of residents feel quality of life is better here than in neighboring cities.
More than 300 residents, businesses, and community leaders recognized at City Council meetings; numerous community groups lead Pledge of Allegiance.
Outreach/awareness campaign for upcoming US Census.
Crime dropped by 9% (lowest overall number of crimes since 1973).
Held 18 Neighborhood Watch meetings.
Coffee with a Deputy and Tacos with a Deputy provided interactions between residents and Sheriff’s deputies.
Issued $20,000 in rebates to residents toward home security systems.
Formed City Council subcommittee to address community-wide parking concerns.
Enhanced student safety at Lincoln School with new drop-off lane.
HOMELESSNESS EFFORTS
Found shelter for 10 homeless individuals; offered services to 55.
Safely stored belongings of 12 homeless individuals.
Awarded $154,000 grant from L.A. County to help our homeless neighbors.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS
Became a Tree City USA.
Given L.A. County’s Green Leadership Award for sustainability efforts.
Won Beacon Award for sustainability efforts, 2nd straight year, moving from Silver to Gold level.
Joined Clean Power Alliance; residents and businesses now using at least 33% renewable energy for less cost.
Installed 2 Electric Vehicle Charging stations for public use.
PLANNING
Completed 5 residential rehabs on homes for low-income residents.
Approved 2 single-family home developments
with a total of 20 units; 12 sold for close to $600,000 each.
Convinced Metro to change plans for construction of Light Rail Line; saved several residential properties. 2
highlights continued highlights
PRESERVING INFRASTRUCTURE
Repaved 17 segments of roadway covering 4.2 miles.
Replaced 6,851 square feet of sidewalk, 1,448 feet of curb and gutter, and 932 square feet of driveway aprons.
Demolished old fountain at All-American Park and replaced with new basketball court.
Intensified litter abatement efforts with purchase and deployment of new street trash cans and street signage.
EDUCATION
Encouraged the community to raise $162,398 in PEP donations; 48 college scholarships given out in 2019.
Re-built Jefferson School vegetable garden for students.
Created internship programs for students enrolled in PUSD’s Odyssey STEM Academy.
FINANCIAL
Created partnerships with YMCA for swim program and Long Beach Transit for transportation services, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Awarded $500,000 from the State budget for park improvements.
Received a $2.9 million grant from the State for bikeway/pedestrian path project.
Won award from the Government Finance Officers Association for outsanding annual financial report (32 years in a row).
PARAMOUNT LAND VALUE INCREASE AMONG TOP
IN COUNTY
Each year, the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office publishes an Annual Report that includes a list of the increases or decreases in property valuation over the past year for each of the County’s cities.
For 2018-2019, out of the 88 cities, Paramount came in at 6th place for the largest percentage growth in property value – 8.6%!
Total valuation went from $3,996,315,865 to $4,339,023,456, an increase of $342,707,591. For the record, Paramount has 9,286 properties, a combination of 5,856 single-family residential, 1,488 residential income, and 1,942 commercial/industrial.
The City works hard to maintain a sound infrastructure, attractive environment, and healthy attitude throughout town. When combined with the positive actions of the overall community, great results like this happen. Way to go, Paramount!
frequently asked questions
MEASURE Y FAQ
The next Paramount General Municipal Election will be held on March 3, 2020 for three seats on the City Council. There will also be a three-quarter-cent sales tax measure on the ballot, Measure Y.
IS PARAMOUNT FACING ANY FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES?
Yes. Paramount’s top priority is maintaining quality of life and public safety for all residents, while remaining committed to long-term financial stability. It is a thriving city despite setbacks caused by the state taking $6 million a year with the elimination of redevelopment agencies and the constantly rising costs for Sheriff’s deputies and other City services.
WHAT HAS PARAMOUNT DONE TO ADDRESS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES?
Paramount takes pride in its track record of being fiscally responsible and is one of the leading cities to have taken responsible labor expenditure reductions. The City’s efforts in shrinking its workforce by 25%, reforming employee pensions, reducing employee benefits, organizational restructuring, and building partnerships with entities like Long Beach Transit and the YMCA have been substantially successful in addressing financial challenges.
DOES PARAMOUNT NEED TO DO MORE TO AD -
Here are some frequently asked questions about the measure, and their answers.
DRESS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES?
While the City has successfully managed its budget, it needs a more long-term revenue enhancement to avoid a budget deficit of $3 – $4 million by 2025. That is why the City Council has placed Measure Y, a 0.75 cent sales tax increase, on the March 3, 2020 ballot.
WILL MEASURE Y HELP KEEP PARAMOUNT SAFE AND WELL-MAINTAINED?
If approved by voters, Measure Y sales tax revenue would:
Maintain levels of public safety, including maintaining Sheriff patrols and school safety officers
Repair streets, sidewalks and potholes
Address homelessness in our community
Prevent cuts to youth violence prevention and after school programs
Prevent cuts to senior programs
Keep parks and other public areas safe and clean
Provide quick responses to 9-1-1 emergencies
Maintain programs to attract new businesses and restaurants
WOULD MEASURE Y ENSURE LOCAL SALES TAX STAYS IN PARAMOUNT?
Yes. Currently, Paramount receives one tenth of the revenues collected from the 9.5% sales tax – the rest goes to the State and County. If approved by voters, 100% of Measure Y funds will stay in Paramount.
IS THERE AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE SHOULD KEEP LOCAL REVENUE LOCAL?
LA County’s Measure H, intended for countywide homeless programs, has collected about $3.5 million from Paramount since July 2017. To date, the City has only received about $184,000 in return. Current taxes are largely being used to benefit homelessness programs outside of Paramount.
WOULD VISITORS TO PARAMOUNT PAY FOR MEASURE Y?
Yes, sales tax is paid by anyone who shops and dines in Paramount.
HOW DO RESIDENTS OF PARAMOUNT FEEL ABOUT A LOCAL SALES TAX INCREASE?
According to polling, 77% of Paramount residents would support Measure Y.
CAN WE TRUST THAT MEASURE Y REVENUE WILL BE USED LOCALLY.
All funds from Measure Y will be used solely to fund City services here in Paramount. By law, no money could be taken away by the State or the County. Independent financial audits will ensure public disclosure of all spending.
HAVE NEIGHBORING CITIES INCREASED THEIR SALES TAX?
Yes. Please refer to the table above. Neighboring cities like Santa Fe Springs, Compton, Long Beach, Lynwood, South Gate, and Downey have already passed a sales tax increase. And the cities of Lakewood, Bellflower and Norwalk have a similar sales tax measure on the March 3 ballot.
HOW CAN I RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION OR PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON MEASURE Y?
Community input is a critical component of the planning process. Please contact Public Information Officer Chris Callard at (562) 220-2027 with questions or feedback or visit http://www.paramountcity.com/home.
Permit No. 115 Paramount, CA 90723
MAYOR
Tom Hansen
Brenda Olmos VICE MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS
Laurie Guillen
Peggy Lemons
Daryl Hofmeyer
RESIDENT CITY OF PARAMOUNT 90723
THE 2020 CENSUS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
The 2020 U.S. Census will be taking place soon. It is essential that everyone be counted for a variety of reasons. But keep in mind the following.
Your responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure, and protected by federal law. Your answers can only be used to produce statistics.
Your census responses cannot be used against you by any government agency or court in any way –not by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), not by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), not by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and not by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Learn more about the Census Bureau’s data protection and privacy program at www.census.gov/ privacy.
EL CENSO 2020 Y LA PRIVACIDAD
El Censo 2020 pronto se llevará a cabo. Es esencial que todos sean contados por una variedad de razones. Pero tengan en cuenta lo siguiente.
Sus respuestas al Censo 2020 están seguras, resguardadas, y protegidas por las leyes federales. Sus respuestas solo pueden usarse para producir estadísticas.
Ningún juzgado o agencia gubernamental puede usar sus respuestas al censo contra usted de ninguna manera – ni la Oficina Federal de Investigaciones (FBI), ni la Agencia Central de Inteligencia (CIA), ni el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS), ni el Control de Inmigración y Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE).
Aprenda más sobre el programa de privacidad y protección de datos de la Oficina del Censo en www.census.gov/privacy.
