ARTICLE
The November 5 general election is 48 days away. Ballots will be hitting mailboxes by Oct. 7. We will see a more feverish pitch in the next few weeks as candidates and ballot measure proponents/opponents begin campaign pamphlets dropping at your front door and via mail. In a few instances, we might see TV and Radio ads hit the airwaves — but most of those campaign strategies are usually reserved for national and statewide campaigns that have big pockets. We are beginning to see local media coverage from Lookout Santa Cruz with candidate forums; Santa Cruz Local has been covering election issues using their community outreach perspectives — gathering the opinions of the community to frame the coverage of the candidates. The Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Good Times have displayed stories and articles about the November election. Lost in the flurry of news coverage is balanced information about the local measures throughout Santa Cruz County. Last week, we reported on a state ballot measure — Proposition 36, and will continue informing our members on this measure. Today’s eNews is a quick snapshot on two local tax measures, Measure X, City of Scotts Valley Business Tax—Measure X Measure Y, the City of Capitola Tax —Measure Y is noted here. Measure X is written as the “City of Scotts Valley Business License Modernization. To maintain city services, such as repairing potholes/streets; wildfire prevention programs, maintaining parks/playfields; and other critical governmental services, shall a measure modernizing Scotts Valley's 1992 business license ordinance be adopted until ended by voters, raising the base rate from $90 to $150 per business and with rates increasing incrementally for larger businesses based on gross receipts as provided in the ordinance, generating approximately $1,100,000 annually, and all funds controlled locally?” In an argument filed in favor of Measure X, Scotts Valley Mayor Randy Johnson (who is not running for reelection), Scotts Valley Chief of Police Steve Walpole, and others said the tiered-rate fee structure would be more fair than the current structure. “Measure X will ensure that small businesses only pay a modest increase, while larger companies will pay a fee based on the revenue they generate. Larger companies rely more heavily on City Services, and Measure X will help better cover their impacts and Needs,” they wrote in response to a Santa Cruz Local inquiry. https://santacruzlocal.org/election/2024-nov-05/measure-x/ “Like many California and Bay Area communities, the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenge to fund the City of Scotts Valley’s critical community Services,” Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe wrote in an Aug. 7 city council meeting report. “Without increased revenue, deep budget reductions will be required starting in Fiscal Year 2025/26. These reductions would further degrade services prioritized by the community, including street repairs, park maintenance, wildfire preparedness, and public safety,” LaGoe wrote. There appears to be no organized opponent to Measure X. Clearly, according to public officials and long-time local Scotts Valley community leaders, Measure X is used to catch up on an overlooked revenue stream that hasn’t changed since the early 1990s. The City of Capitola Sales Tax (Measure Y) is “To protect essential city services including public safety and emergency services; repair potholes, maintain streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, beaches, the new wharf, and recreation programs for youth; improve traffic safety; and support local businesses, shall City-of-Capitola replace its quarter-percent sales tax, approved by voters in 2016, with a one- half percent sales tax, generating an estimated $2.2 million annually for general government use, for ten years, with independent audits, and all funds staying local?” All six Capitola City Council members, as well as a host of elected officials and Capitola community leaders, are listed in the Argument for Measure Y, and there is no organized opposition. The Santa Cruz County Election Department has the resolution here: “To protect essential city services including public safety and emergency services; repair potholes, maintain streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, beaches, the new wharf, and recreation programs for youth; improve traffic safety; and support local businesses, shall City-of-Capitola replace its quarter-percent sales tax, approved by voters in 2016, with a one- half percent sales tax, generating an estimated $2.2 million annually for general government use, for ten years, with independent audits, and all funds staying local?” The VoteMeasureY website is noted here: https://votemeasurey.com/. One interesting data point provided by the City Staff’s analysis: Who is paying the sales tax in the City of Capitola? City Staff estimates that less than one-third of Capitola’s sales tax revenue is paid by residents; the vast majority is paid by visitors. 66.7% of the sales tax collected is from visitors and 33.3%. The question for the residents of Santa Cruz County who are not Capitola taxpayers is, what percentage of the sales tax are we paying? State and local governments prioritize finding new or increased revenue across the state and throughout the county. Voters must ask two important questions as they review their ballots: What taxes are necessary to provide the services you want, and where is the litmus test of when the tax is too much for the voter’s appetite?
The November 5 general election is 48 days away. Ballots will be hitting mailboxes by Oct. 7. We will see a more feverish pitch in the next few weeks as candidates and ballot measure proponents/opponents begin campaign pamphlets dropping at your front door and via mail. In a few instances, we might see TV and Radio ads hit the airwaves — but most of those campaign strategies are usually reserved for national and statewide campaigns that have big pockets. We are beginning to see local media coverage from Lookout Santa Cruz with candidate forums; Santa Cruz Local has been covering election issues using their community outreach perspectives — gathering the opinions of the community to frame the coverage of the candidates. The Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Good Times have displayed stories and articles about the November election. Lost in the flurry of news coverage is balanced information about the local measures throughout Santa Cruz County.
Last week, we reported on a state ballot measure — Proposition 36, and will continue informing our members on this measure. Today’s eNews is a quick snapshot on two local tax measures, Measure X, City of Scotts Valley Business Tax—Measure X
Measure Y, the City of Capitola Tax —Measure Y is noted here. Measure X is written as the “City of Scotts Valley Business License Modernization. To maintain city services, such as repairing potholes/streets; wildfire prevention programs, maintaining parks/playfields; and other critical governmental services, shall a measure modernizing Scotts Valley's 1992 business license ordinance be adopted until ended by voters, raising the base rate from $90 to $150 per business and with rates increasing incrementally for larger businesses based on gross receipts as provided in the ordinance, generating approximately $1,100,000 annually, and all funds controlled locally?”
In an argument filed in favor of Measure X, Scotts Valley Mayor Randy Johnson (who is not running for reelection), Scotts Valley Chief of Police Steve Walpole, and others said the tiered-rate fee structure would be more fair than the current structure.
“Measure X will ensure that small businesses only pay a modest increase, while larger companies will pay a fee based on the revenue they generate. Larger companies rely more heavily on City Services, and Measure X will help better cover their impacts and Needs,” they wrote in response to a Santa Cruz Local inquiry. https://santacruzlocal.org/election/2024-nov-05/measure-x/
“Like many California and Bay Area communities, the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenge to fund the City of Scotts Valley’s critical community Services,” Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe wrote in an Aug. 7 city council meeting report.
“Without increased revenue, deep budget reductions will be required starting in Fiscal Year 2025/26. These reductions would further degrade services prioritized by the community, including street repairs, park maintenance, wildfire preparedness, and public safety,” LaGoe wrote.
There appears to be no organized opponent to Measure X. Clearly, according to public officials and long-time local Scotts Valley community leaders, Measure X is used to catch up on an overlooked revenue stream that hasn’t changed since the early 1990s. The City of Capitola Sales Tax (Measure Y) is “To protect essential city services including public safety and emergency services; repair potholes, maintain streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, beaches, the new wharf, and recreation programs for youth; improve traffic safety; and support local businesses, shall City-of-Capitola replace its quarter-percent sales tax, approved by voters in 2016, with a one- half percent sales tax, generating an estimated $2.2 million annually for general government use, for ten years, with independent audits, and all funds staying local?”
All six Capitola City Council members, as well as a host of elected officials and Capitola community leaders, are listed in the Argument for Measure Y, and there is no organized opposition. The Santa Cruz County Election Department has the resolution here: “To protect essential city services including public safety and emergency services; repair potholes, maintain streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, beaches, the new wharf, and recreation programs for youth; improve traffic safety; and support local businesses, shall City-of-Capitola replace its quarter-percent sales tax, approved by voters in 2016, with a one- half percent sales tax, generating an estimated $2.2 million annually for general government use, for ten years, with independent audits, and all funds staying local?” The VoteMeasureY website is noted here: https://votemeasurey.com/.
One interesting data point provided by the City Staff’s analysis: Who is paying the sales tax in the City of Capitola? City Staff estimates that less than one-third of Capitola’s sales tax revenue is paid by residents; the vast majority is paid by visitors. 66.7% of the sales tax collected is from visitors and 33.3%. The question for the residents of Santa Cruz County who are not Capitola taxpayers is, what percentage of the sales tax are we paying?
State and local governments prioritize finding new or increased revenue across the state and throughout the county. Voters must ask two important questions as they review their ballots: What taxes are necessary to provide the services you want, and where is the litmus test of when the tax is too much for the voter’s appetite?