Editor’s note: Measure Q which would raise the local sales tax in Davis by one percentage point, is one of the few measures on the local ballot. The measure needs a majority of votes to be approved.
Here are the ballot arguments for and against:
Argument in Favor of Measure Q:
Measure Q is critical for the health, safety, and financial stability of Davis. While our community has grown and costs have increased, revenue for city services haven’t kept pace. To maintain our quality of life, Measure Q is vital.
Yes on Measure Q would ensure that Davis emergency responders are able to meet current needs—providing police and fire departments adequate resources to improve emergency response times, retain trained personnel, upgrade equipment, and provide proper training.
Yes on Measure Q will help improve park maintenance, greenbelts, and landscaping, and support upgrades to our aging public infrastructure (filling potholes, and repaving streets and bike paths).
Yes on Measure Q helps address homelessness and affordable housing. Measure Q funding will allow us to connect individuals with support systems and collaborate with local organizations on effective housing solutions.
Yes on Measure Q allows Davis to be regionally competitive with neighboring cities also adopting similar measures.
While providing the approximately $11,000,000/year necessary for maintaining our essential city services, Measure Q proposes a modest 1% increase in local sales tax (just one penny on each dollar spent on taxable goods).
Measure Q funds can’t be taken by the State, guaranteeing that all revenue remains in our community. Essential purchases like groceries and medicine are exempt. It was important to ensure that this measure would not be a burden to those on fixed incomes.
The City of Davis has worked diligently to manage existing resources efficiently, trimming expenses while protecting residents’ services and staff positions. Now we need to catch up to inflation, increasing costs, and our growing population.
Thoughtfully developed, Measure Q is an investment in our community’s future, ensuring that Davis remains a safe, vibrant, and welcoming place for all.
Please join community leaders, like the Davis Downtown Business Association, in supporting a safe, financially stable, resilient future for Davis —Vote Yes on Measure Q.
/s/ Lois Wolk
Former Davis Mayor
/s/ Robb Davis
Former Davis Mayor
/s/ Brett Lee
Former Davis Mayor
/s/ Gloria Partida
Former Davis Mayor
/s/ Lucas Frerichs
Former Davis Mayor
Ballot Argument Against:
The Davis City Council conveniently blames our fiscal problems on recent inflation and unspecified “additional services”, but is pushing to increase taxes FOREVER.
The real problem is our Davis City Council has irresponsibly granted excessive salary increases to Senior Management and Firefighters while the city is in dire fiscal straits. The latest salary increases, granted by the current Davis City Council, will cost taxpayers millions of dollars over the coming years.
Together with past salary increases far in excess of inflation, every bit of the new taxes is consumed going forward. Regrettably, the Davis City Council has NOT been honest and transparent about this.
Further, just in the past year:
- The Davis City Council reduced the annual budget to repair our crumbling streets by $1.5 million.
- The Davis City Council suspended paying down $42 million in unfunded employee healthcare benefits, leaving our children to pay.
- Our General Fund reserve has shrunk to 7.5%, which is half the desired 15%.
- The Davis City Council is 3 years behind in providing audited financials.
- The Davis City Council refused to appoint Commissioners to our independent oversight Finance and Budget Commission so it could not legally meet for over a year, and it never once discussed the need for nor the anticipated uses of this new tax.
Our Davis City Council is out of control with no plan to rein in costs. Instead they referred to new programs and services, while continuing to spend our tax dollars on exorbitant salaries. We simply cannot trust them with more of our money until appropriate oversight and controls are implemented.
Say NO to irresponsible spending that has gone off the rails. Tell our Davis City Council that there will be NO more money until they 1) create a plan to use our tax dollars wisely, 2) stop the runaway escalation of employee compensation, and 3) implement independent financial oversight controls.
Vote No on Measure Q – Quit Wasting our Taxes.
www.NoOnDavisMeasureQ.com
/s/ Elaine Roberts Musser
2014 City of Davis Citizen of the Year; Former Chair, Utilities Commission; Former Chair, Senior Citizens Commission
/s/ Mark Mezger, President
Yolo County Taxpayers Association
/s/ Jeff Miller
Former Chair, Davis Finance and Budget Commission
/s/ Jeff Boone
Davis Resident & Downtown Business Owner
/s/ Alan Pryor
Treasurer, Yes on Measure D – 2012 Davis Parks Tax Renewal;
Principal Officer, Yes on Measure O, 2014 Davis 0.5% Sales Tax
An important point here is that the opponents are not the “usual suspects.” Roberts Musser usually supports the proposals by the city establishment and Pryor is generally supportive of tax increases. This opposition reveals a deeper issue over City management that we should be paying attention. We can’t just paper over the current deteriorating fiscal situation.