Lack of Transparency by the Davis City Council
by Alan Pryor
Disclaimer: Opinions are those of the writer and do not reflect those of The Vanguard or its Editorial Staff. The Vanguard does not endorse political candidates and is committed to publishing all public opinions and maintaining an open forum subject to guidelines related to decency and tone, not content.
About Measure Q
If passed on the November ballot, Davis Measure Q would double the extra sales tax imposed by the City of Davis from 1% to 2% on all goods purchased or used within the City except for some food and medicines. Based on the expected $11 million per year generated by the new tax and a Davis population of about 66,000, this works out to to be an approximately $165/year tax for every man, woman, and child in Davis. And like the previous two ½ percentage point sales and use tax hikes, this tax is permanent. It doesn’t matter if the City’s financial condition substantially changes for the better in the future, this tax never goes away!
Introduction and Background
This article is the first in a series presented by the No on Measure Q campaign committee talking about various adverse impacts and lack of disclosures of the new tax measure. This article discusses the non-transparent and deceitful process by which Measure Q was brought to the public. Many elements of Measure Q and the City’s finances have been shrouded in secrecy and not subject to public scrutiny and analysis by a citizen advisory commission.
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Reason 1 – The City Council prevented our watchdog Finance & Budget Commission from weighing in on the Tax Measure by unscrupulous means
For decades, the citizens of Davis have relied on the citizen’s advisory Finance and Budget Commission to provide needed oversight of the City’s finances. But our City Council has been so contemptuous of this Commission that they quietly refused to appoint any new applicants to fill Commission vacancies for more than a year. As a result, they have not met since July, 2023. So this critical Commission never even got the chance to weigh in on the need for new taxes or how the proceeds will be spent. What is the City Council trying to hide from us?
Reason 2 – The City Council last produced audited Financial Statements for FY 2021 which ended more than 3 years ago.
The City last produced audited financial statements for the Fiscal Year ending June, 2021– even though under state law they are required to do this annually. It is almost inconceivable that the City is refusing to perform this most basic step to ensure honesty and transparency in reporting City finances. But the City Council has offered no reason why this task has not been completed for so long. Would you invest in a company that was 3 years behind in preparing audited financial statements? Would the IRS let you be 3 years behind in filing your taxes?
Reason 3 – The Council refuses to commit to a specific plan on how they will spend our money.
The City Council claims the new tax revenues will be spent wisely but refuses to tell us exactly on what. Meanwhile, they also promise to expand programs and create more services with the new revenues. But when asked what they will be doing with $11 million more of our money every year, unfortunately, our City Council merely says “TRUST US”. Why does the City Council continue to play games by being purposely vague about how our money will be spent?
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Summary and Conclusion
The Davis City Council has not been open and transparent in bringing this tax measure to the public for a vote. They have withheld critical audited information on the City’s finances,. They have not allowed review of the tax measure by the City’s watchdog Finance and Budget Commission. And they have refused to commit to how they will spend our hard earned tax dollars. This City Council does not deserve our money until they honestly disclose the City’s financial condition, allow proper oversight and review, and tell us what they are going to do with our money.
Our next article will discuss additional reasons why voters should reject Measure Q including the City Council’s ongoing mismanagement of day-to-day City finances.
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PLEASE VOTE NO ON MEASURE Q – QUIT WASTING OUR TAXES!
www.NoOnDavisMeasureQ.com
