Measure U to Take Center Stage in San Carlos

Measure U should not be passed. It’s a crime that the City Council does not tell the good, hardworking, citizens of San Carlos that there is exactly $2 million dollars left from measure “G”. These are the very funds that the citizens have already paid. Shouldn’t these funds be re-voted instead of yet… another tax?

Please come here both sides of the argument at the San Carlos Villagers Forum Oct. 1st 7pm @ The San Carlos Museum of History (533 Laurel Street). Councilmen Randy Royce and Matt Grocott will present both sides of the argument, followed by a Q&A. Public Welcome.

Again, polititians are trying to use the easy way out instead of facing the music: Just increase the taxes.
Last year the parcel tax, now a sales tax. A little here a little there which each one on its own does not seem like much, but it adds up and it needs to stop now!
Polititians and government employees have to learn that taxpayer’s funds are not infinite. They have to learn to cut back when times are tough – WE have to do that – so can they!!!
Vote NO on U.

Responding to those against a 1/2 CENT sales tax: Please read the new Grand Jury Report… “San Carlos is a leader in the area of reducing employee costs and has implemented many of the items that appear in the Civil Grand Jury’s report.” Here’s the link: http://www.cityofsancarlos.org
Of course the City is cutting back! Everyone is cutting back……The City has CUT everything that’s not nailed down this year and without Measure U sales tax funds, there will be drastic CUTS in the fall, this time PEOPLE WILL BE CUT. When you don’t have people, you don’t have PROGRAMS. It’s that simple. That means say goodbye to all the things that the employees do for you: Maintain Your Parks, Clean the Restrooms, Coordinate Summer Concerts, Tree Lighting, Staff the Adult and Youth Centers, (Kiwanis Community Center is already closed and leased to a private school!), contract for Chamber of Commerce events, such as Farmer’s Market, Art & Wine festival, policing of Hometown Days and the list goes on. Stuff has already been cut that’s not coming back without revenue. These are the things that make San Carlos DIFFERENT from neighboring cities.
NO ONE likes taxes, but taxes are what pays for things. Things like a new library and things like a Youth Center. Those things are now 10 years old and frankly, the City’s infrastructure is not being maintained (sidewalks, potholes, Vista Park, Laurel Streetscape, etc.)
The City hasn’t passed a parcel tax for over 10 years (The old Measure “G” for recreation only now expired). Recent parcel taxes are from School District, College District, etc., completely separate entities. Look at your tax bill – it’s all for everyone BUT the City of San Carlos.
The “Politicians” are five regular guys making the best decisions for 30,000 people with limited funds now coming into the City. Be angry with the State, but don’t take it out on San Carlos.
It takes a village and WE are the village that needs to pull together and pay for these basic and necessary services. So while you’re enjoying your $3.50 Starbuck’s Coffee and $2.50 Vanilla Moon cupcake, remember that keeping the City intact (I didn’t even mention sewers), is worth much more than 50 cents on a hundred dollars. A small tax/price to pay for a big return.
Get informed on the Measure: http://www.protectourservices.com and http://www.vote4goodliving.com/
It’s up to the voters on November 3. Fifty cents on a hundred dollars. It’s up to U!

Just curious as to why these “5 regular guys” made a decision to spend $2 million+ on plastic grass at Highlands when the city is in dire straits financially (and when a significant number of citizens oppose the plastic grass). Seems like these “5 regular guys” have made a really bad business decision. The vote should be re-purposing the Measure G funds, NOT adding to our sales tax.
Heading off to get my $3.50 mocha latte at Starbucks and my Vanilla Moon cupcake now…

If we do not get control now, the taxing will never stop. I have never used the public school system for my son, but I voted for the school tax, as well as many other people who send their children to private schools. So we are a VILLAGE. Taxing is not the answer. Being fiscally responsible is. Putting plastic grass was a horrible decision, when the money could have been used for our infrastructure. I have paid for new sidewalk blocks in front of my own home, so I am paying for part of the infrastructure costs that other cities take responsibility for.
Off to the Plantation for my coffee, so I can support our local business!

Measure G was a small parcel tax that raised about $60,000 a year for Parks and Rec. It is matched by city funds, and there are currently a little over a million dollars in funds. This combined with the money given by PAMF is being used to purchase the artificial turf at Highlands. The City Attorney feels that these funds would be very hard to legally revote and use in our General Fund. Even if they were, there is only a little over a million dollars in Measure G funds. Measure U is being used to fund a 2.7 million dollar hole for 6 years. Where would we get the other 15 million from? The Measure G argument is being used by people opposed to artificial turf as a way to stall the installation and distract from the real issues.

The financial situation we find ourselves in is part of the legacy of Proposition 13. Property tax in San Carlos is collected at a rate of 13%, lower than any other Peninsula city, and a rate that is frozen in time,from the 70’s, when there was less to pay for and fewer services required. This is true of cities throughout CA. Now, in 2009, there are more people in San Carlos to serve and an aging infrastructure to maintain. Unless Prop. 13 is repealed,(not likely anytime soon), San Carlos, like all CA cities, will need to come up with other revenue sources to pay for the infrastructure, emergency services, and programs that we need and expect.

We San Carlans think nothing of passing property tax increases that benefit our schools. I personally vote for these increases, even though I don’t have children, because I know that the schools are one important reason my house continues to hold its value in these stressful economic times.
I also know that all of the other things that maintain the value of my home are in serious danger of going away. Most of you know that once something is cut from a budget, it is likely to never come back.
When I travel to other cities to visit friends I am reminded of how lucky I am to own a home and live in San Carlos. This is a beautiful city with wonderful parks. It is a city that still cares about its residents. It is a city with a virtually non-existent violent crime rate. It is a city I am proud to live and invite my friends to.
A yes vote on Measure U will help to insure that those things and much more stay intact and that San Carlos remains the best place to live on the peninsula.

I completely understand the reaction that people have to even the suggestion of a new tax. And, yes, my arteries harden every time I hear that we should spend more for government. But let’s consider the facts about Measure U.
When we moved from Burlingame to San Carlos, our property tax bill took a jump. But Burlingame had two sources of revenue that San Carlos doesn’t have — its famous “auto row” of car dealers and a number of high-end hotels such as the Hyatt. Sales taxes and room taxes accounted for much of that city’s budget. Unfortunately, we don’t have those revenue producers in San Carlos.
If you think that the city is in dire straits now because of the recent recession, that’s not the full story. Actually, San Carlos has been in recession for 10 years, with constant reductions in city expenditures, staffing and payroll. Call it death by 1,000 cuts.
We’ve reached the tipping point. I invite anyone to do the research, and the math. I suggest we set aside emotions, for a moment, and consider what happens next if we let this downward spiral continue.
If you don’t believe that we are dangerously short-staffed in our police department, take a ride with a cop. Compare staffing levels at other cities on the Peninsula, including Burlingame, which has exactly the same population as San Carlos. Three officers to patrol our city on a shift is an appallingly thin blue line. By comparison, the town of Tiburon, population 8,000, has exactly the same contingent — and with far fewer miles to patrol.
Ask yourself these questions:
1) If someone is breaking into your house and you call the police, how long can you wait before an officer arrives?
2) If you have a heart attack, how long can you wait before the fire department (usually the first responder) arrives?
3) Are you willing to do away with the Friday concerts in Burton Park? Or have the city withdraw its support of Hot Harvest Nights, Hometown Days and the Art & Wine festival?
A lot of other things are likely to be on the chopping block if Measure U doesn’t pass. I understand if people feel that there may be alternatives to offset the budget deficit, and those were roundly discussed by the city council. Bottom line is that there are only so many rabbits to pull out of the hat — and San Carlos has run out of hats.
At the end of the day, people should ask themselves if they are willing to further reduce our public safety agencies and if they are willing to do away with most of the things that define the “city of good living.”
We’re talking about a half-cent more on the dollar. How much is that going to set you back even if you do most or all of your shopping in San Carlos? To me, the extra cost seems little enough to invest in a good place to live.
Now, if you want something to gripe about, why not direct your comments at the State of California and our “governator” for taking money away from the cities and pushing us deeper into this mess?
Ken Castle

While I am a firm supporter of Measure U, I do find it interesting that our San Carlos Police have recently found the resources to crack down on Laurel Street jaywalking. Hmm.
Trying to read, I mean walk, between the lines here..

I know where we can pick up extra dollars. The city should fine all the homeowners who have not fixed their sidewalks. My best friend tripped last December on a sidewalk in this town. She had facial injuries, and had to have a front tooth implant. Luckily, she recovered. The owners homeowner insurance policy covered the costs of this accident. However, to this day, the sidewalk has not been repaired. Another accident waiting to happen. The city should start imposing fines before someone’s child is terribly hurt from our broken sidewalks. Even if we pass this measure, the cost of sidewalk repair is still on the homeowner.

i’d rather cut back on sports than police/fire and other basic services. Ditch the synthetic turf idea and ask PAMF if we can re-purpose their funds as well. That’s about $3 million (including the $1M from PAMF) that the city could use to fund our basic services…

Please keep in mind that this sales tax is a mere attempt to bridge the gap in the budget from what the STATE is taking from our City- 2.7 million dollars this year alone. Services come at a cost. The City of San Carlos is the lowest staffed city of it’s size in the county- what else should be cut??? Vote as you will, but please don’t complain if Measure U doesn’t pass and services that you use are gone. When your property value goes down because people don’t want to purchase a house in a neighborhood where parks aren’t maintained, public safety isn’t valued and the little things that make San Carlos special are no more. Times are hard for all of us- the state is not making it easy right now so we all need to pull together to fight for our City.

Every economist on the planet will tell you raising sales taxes in a recession is about the silliest thing you can do.
Consider: you live in Belmont. You could buy that brand new fancy BBQ from the San Carlos Home Depot, or you could go to San Mateo and get the exact same thing for 1/2% less. What do you think most people will do?
The craziest thing about this is that it will make the problem worse. So even if you put aside whether or not they’ve cut as much as they can, this measure is ridiculous on its face.
Want to do something to stop it? Join here:
http://sancarlosfirst.com
Enough is enough.

I wonder what happens if Measure U gets defeated. They will probably bring it up again and again and again until it passes, like the parcel tax last year.

Let’s take a look at the post above from Sancarlosfirst.com.
The poster indicates that a someone looking to purchase a fancy new bbq may consider going to SM to purchase instead of San Carlos due to the passage of Measure U and the sale tax increase. Really? If this is the logic we are dealing with I hope most voters in San Carlos can see how absurd this notion really is. Let’s suppose that new bbq costs $500. The cost difference with the sales tax increase from Measure U is a whopping $2.50. I’m sorry these folks are going to burn through most of that in gas going to the home depot off of 92 in SM.
The bottomline with Measure U is that the benefits far outweigh the burdens. In fact, the burdens are almost negligible. Protect our already dwindling city services and vote YES on Measure U.

No nU Taxes. People are losing their jobs or taking major pay cuts. The city staff should do the same. We need a balanced budget that does not tax the people of San Carlos any more!

Reality Check: It’s not about the $2.50, it’s about giving the city’s government its own reality check.
We can not just raise taxes each time there is not enough money. There needs to be more fiscal responsibility!

It seeme pretty simple! Raise rhe money required by cutting the salaries of the city employees by 5%. Let’s face it, it’s belt tightning time. No one loses their job, city services would continue and maybe even improve. With this savings, no tax increase and perhaps enough to pay for additional needed staff.
The majority of San Carlos city workers are overpaid. I’ve talked to a few that would be OK with a 5% pay cut as they realize that there is way to much sand bagging that goes on with a lot of city employees.
The party is over, and raising the sales tax is just not the right thing to do.

First off all, Vote NO on Measure “U
The City of San Carlos does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.
City Manager Mark Weiss earned more than $212,000.00 in 2008, almost as much as the mayor of much larger San Jose. Assistant City Manager Brian Moura made more than $191,000.00 and the Parks superindent and recreation director topped $173,000.00, and this is only a small example of the over spending.
Managers aren’t alone in pulling in these out of line salaries. A maintenance worker made $72,000.00 and a parks administrative assistamt made $66,000.00. A patrol officer, by earning $61,000.00 in overtime, made more than $160,000.00, almost as much as the police chief.
These and other records obtained from the city earlier this year, make it crystal clear that San Carlos is out of control with it’s spending.
No on Measure “U”. Don’t give the vultures any more to squander away.

For all of you who are complaining about the city.
You need to go to the City Council meetings and tell them how you feel. Tell them that the City manager makes way to much, Better yet offer your years of expedience in City Government and run for the Council next time. As mater of Fact tell them that the city spends way to much money and you know how to cut it because you read how to in the News paper.
Next stop by the City Mangers office and tell him that you know how to reduce all the wasteful spending that the City of San Carlos does. Also let him no that all the employees should take a pay cut because that what you would do.Make sure you let him know that you are an expert in Government Finances and know how to squeeze water out of a Rock. Be sure to tell him you are a friend of Matt Grocott because I here that he is a Staff Favorite.
Call their bluff because you know they are hiding money in the basement for a rainy day.
Now you should feel pretty good about your self so go spend the rest of the day patting yourself on the back at Starbucks.
Now come on back to this blog and post what happened. But please your real name so we can buy you a cup of coffee.

The City has not been straight forward with the voters of San Carlos. While they talk about the dire funding needs of our parks, police and fire, the real financial burden is from carrying too many expensive programs.
We have a youth center, a senior center, and a special needs program. How many city employees are required to run these programs and what are their salaries?
How many of our young people really use the Youth Center? It was built to keep young people off the street. Where are a majority of young people hanging out? The answer is NOT at the Youth Center.
Many of the City programs were started with funding from grants rather than sustainable dollars.
For years the city paid for the Healthy Cities Tutoring Program. I think it is a worthy program but why was our city government paying for an educational program? Shouldn’t this have been a school district program rather than a city run program?
The city also paid for a shuttle for years. What a ridiculous use of tax payer funds.
I realize that the Chamber of Commerce endorsed this measure but did they really have good input from the store owners? The Chamber board of directors must not adequately represent the retail business of this community. This tax increase will be devasting to local business. Good Sage (on South Laurel) just went out of business becoming another number on the long list of retail stores that could not make ends meet in our fair city. Do our city officials know how many stores and small restaurants are struggling to make it in San Carlos?
Bob, I’m surprised you would endorse this measure. Did you really do your homework?

Hi Karen,
Thanks for your post. Certainly not an easy decision. This is very much a case of choosing between two evils. The bottom line is that the following items remain true, no matter how you slice it, as displayed in Councilman Ahmad’s editorial:
1. San Carlos receives one of the lowest amounts (shares) of property tax in the county
2. Revenues from property and sales taxes do not cover the costs of public safety
3. San Carlos has no “local” revenue sources to fund local priorities
Some of those items you mentioned in your post such as the Youth Center have severely cut back hours and are already running on a minimum staff. Additionally, with the closure of the Kiwanis building at Burton Park, the Youth Center has been expected to pick up the slack with a limited staff. With regard to the Senior Center, I am not sure of the staffing levels there, but I am not sure that is the right venue to cut staff.
Finally, four of the five city council member fully support the measure. I have come to respect all four of those individuals as very bright and innovative leaders. There is a reason they are supporting this measure. They have spent more time in the trenches with this issue and they will all tell you that we simply do not have another viable option other than massive cuts, which will impact the city in a variety of ways. All of this being said, I think your point about San Carlos starting projects on grants, rather than a sustainable revenue stream is a fair point. Unfortunately, now we are now in a position where tough choices need to be made on some of those items. Believe me, I don’t want to see the sales tax go up any higher than it already is, however, I do not want to see any more of our city services cut.

19 of 19 precincts reporting, Against: 3063, For: 2436. Unofficial Results: Measure U Fails, 44% to 56%.

Well my family had a medical emergency and surgery Tuesday. I of course voted but I can’t find the results anywhere Why does the blog stop here. Did Measure U pass? SOmeone please answer. thanks