Every week between now and the November Election, the Vanguard will ask the District 2 Candidates (the only contested council election this year) one question. They are asked to limit their response to 350 words.
Question 2: Do you support Measure Q? Explain how you would address the city’s fiscal challenges?
Linda Deos
I support Measure Q. This one-cent sales tax increase is essential to addressing Davis’ current spending shortfall and the lack of general fund reserves. Our city faces a critical funding gap that threatens the sustainability of essential services, from public safety to infrastructure maintenance, including improving our roads and greenbelts, servicing our parks, and keeping downtown clean.
Our general fund reserves are low, about half what is recommended for our city. We have unfunded liabilities that we will need to pay. This financial shortfall puts the city at risk of deeper cuts and delayed maintenance, which could lead to more costly repairs down the road. With Measure Q, we can responsibly fund necessary services while also addressing pressing infrastructure needs such as bike path repairs and road safety improvements.
One of the most important aspects of supporting Measure Q is ensuring transparency and accountability in how these funds are spent. If elected, I will advocate for a return to regular budget audits and reviews. As a bankruptcy attorney who has reviewed thousands of budgets and financial documents, I am well qualified to ensure the city is spending its money efficiently and in line with the community’s priorities.
It’s crucial that the city not only raises the revenue it needs but also demonstrates responsible spending practices to rebuild trust with residents. Measure Q will not unilaterally solve all our issues, but it is an important step.
We also must realize that this is not uniquely a Davis problem. Woodland and West Sacramento are proposing identical measures. West Sacramento’s 1% sales tax is estimated to generate nearly twice the revenue of Davis’. We are missing out on economic development in this town. More businesses mean more dollars and cents in our coffers.
If elected, I will be excited to work with the new economic development director to make sure we can drive more businesses, and thus more tax revenue, to Davis. With the help of Measure Q, more responsible budgeting, and economic development, we can return our City’s finances to being healthy and sustainable.
Dillan Horton
I will be voting Yes on Measure Q because it provides the best path to maintain city services and better serve vulnerable residents. It is the best avenue to foster greater economic activity and improve the quality of life in Davis.
The city is facing a concerning fiscal outlook because of a very difficult climate for small businesses. As Davis residents struggle to start new businesses or maintain existing ones, Davis loses out on tax revenue to neighboring cities. A strong small business environment produces the revenue that funds strong local governments. We can move forward by helping Davis retain the businesses and jobs we have while welcoming new ones that fit our values and needs by:
- Cutting Red Tape: It remains too difficult to start a small business in town, particularly if you’re starting a business for the first time. I’ll work to cut unnecessary procedures and simplify the process to start a business, particularly pop-ups and other smaller businesses that people can start with less money.
- Supporting Labor Rights: Despite Davis’ progressive image, there remains persistent issues with union busting practices, and employee misclassification, which robs workers of earned pay & benefits. I’ve always stood up for workers rights, and I would continue to advocate that workers in Davis have the right to unionize and collectively bargain for fair pay & safe working conditions.
- City Staffing: Businesses used to benefit from staff at City Hall they could go to for support, but those positions have whittled down over the years. Though Davis has recently hired a new staffer focused on economic development, there’s still more work to be done to reorient City Hall to more proactively support small businesses.
- Infrastructure Improvement: I will prioritize investing in critical infrastructure that will improve quality of life as well as create economic opportunities by:
- Listening to neighborhoods to prioritize road and bike path improvements in the areas of highest need first.
- Pursuing community-owned utilities including high-speed internet.
- Improving public transportation and reducing car reliance by collaborating with Unitrans and Yolobus to improve service, add bus shelters, and remove barriers to ADA accessibility.
Victor Lagunes
Certain basic, quality-of-life problems in Davis can no longer be ignored or deferred, but demand an immediate fix. For that reason, I support Measure Q. Ask the kids that bike to school, ask the walking groups on our greenbelts, ask your neighbors about potholes in our local streets: our roads and paths present daily hazards, and our city has a responsibility to repair them in a timely fashion.
We identified a clear need for additional revenue for infrastructure in 2018 when the city put forth a special tax specifically for street and bike path maintenance. In the wake of the pandemic, construction costs have risen and the state of our roads and paths worsened. Passing Measure Q now will allow us to make repairs sooner and save long term costs.
The financial stability and sustainability of our city is paramount. We must continue to offer critical services such as emergency response and public safety, and to provide the support programs for our residents by addressing homelessness and investment in affordable housing, plus we must repair and maintain our infrastructure, including our bike paths and parks. The Downtown Davis Business Association supports Measure Q because our local businesses need more services to maintain the attractiveness of our downtown. Woodland, West Sacramento, and Winters have all placed identical taxes on the ballot, demonstrating that these fiscal challenges are not Davis-specific, but are shared by municipalities regionally.
I share a concern some Davisites have expressed that the tax is regressive, affecting our working-class residents more proportionally to their income; however, Measure Q is structured to support greater accessibility and economic opportunity for these residents and their families by investing in the housing trust fund.
Measure Q will not be a cure-all for these issues. We need to cultivate economic development and grow our tax-base to ensure our city’s revenue will keep up with demand for services. I intend to find innovative solutions, in collaboration with the UC, our businesses, and local non-profits, to address our changing economy so our city will not simply survive, but thrive into the future.
