Wildomar’s voters have been provided with a poorly conceived new tax proposal, and a small minority of vocal tax supporters are doing their utmost to hard sell it to cash-strapped Wildomar citizens.
Despite what you read about parks and people and all sorts of superfluous emotional stuff, Measure “D” is about RAISING OUR TAXES.
Please consider these facts about Measure “D”, including some important details tax supporters have left out of their articles, campaign materials, and virulent blogs! Wildomar’s voters need and deserve to have the facts, not half truths, and use their heads instead of emotions, when voting on June 7th.
The old, illegal parks maintenance tax was a flat $28 per parcel; raised from only about half of Wildomar’s parcels. The proposed NEW tax would be levied on nearly every Wildomar parcel, both commercial and residential, almost DOUBLING the number of parcels and the amount of revenue. Old tax = about $173,000 in current 2010-2011 budget year, NEW tax = about $350,000 to $365,000.
This is why it is fair and accurate to call Measure “D” a NEW, DOUBLE TAX. It's not just a replacement tax as you may have been told. It calls for using a completely different method of taxation – A MELLO-ROOS based district, which “…encompasses all land within the boundaries of the city…” Thousand of new parcels will be taxed, and substantially more revenue will flow into city coffers.
Wildomar’s stressed families will have to pay this new tax at a time when many of them are losing jobs, having pensions and income cut, and being forced from their homes by foreclosure. Our businesses will have to pay too – including those fighting to keep their doors open. If you are looking for proof of our distressed economy, just look around at Wildomar’s neighborhoods and shopping centers.
While we need to keep at least our biggest park open, this is not the time to increase taxes or to expand the city’s nice but non-essential entertainment and recreational programs. Many people are struggling, and it is ludicrous to ask them to pay for someone else’s entertainment when they may not be able to afford their own necessities.
Measure “D” would authorize levy of a special tax, “The maximum tax rate would be $28.00 per year …subject to adjustment each year for inflation.” And, you can all guess what that means in the long run with the skyrocketing costs of oil, gas and food. If you need validation, just read the IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS in your sample ballot.
Worse yet, Measure “D” would create a tax district using the dreadful MELLO-ROOS law, and Wildomar would become ONE HUGE MELLO-ROOS DISTRICT for forever…likely paving the way for multi-million dollar bond issue(s) to be brought forward.
That is what the city council originally proposed and passed a resolution for, a $5,000.000 bond which was withdrawn, and that is what this council really wants in the future. Tax supporters aren't telling you this, so you would be wise to ask yourselves what else they are leaving out.
For more information on the many drawbacks of the dangerous MELLO-ROOS CFD check out www.StopTheMoneyGrab.com
Wildomar deserves to have open parks, but Measure “D” is not a good proposal. There truly are other, better options for funding parks maintenance which the council and their Blue Ribbon Committee refused to consider. Telling voters there aren’t options is pure nonsense. This all or nothing approach of the city council is highly irresponsible, and has divided the community unnecessarily.
Measure "D" is another one of the Wildomar city council's rushed decisions which was pushed forward hastily to meet the deadline for submitting Ballot Measures for the June 7th election. It is a poor, needlessly complex and expensive tax proposal which will be costly to administer. There are better ways to keep our parks open, and voters should tell the council to find them by defeating Measure “D” on June 7th.
Remember your vote does count. This Election may be decided by a handful of votes. So don’t stay home and let others decide this important issue for you.
VOTE NO ON MEASURE “D” – VOTE NO ON A MELLO-ROOS TAX DISTRICT
Actually, I have stated my thoughts on other options to the city staff and council in the hopes of being helpful to my city, by delivering a detailed 3-page list of options/suggestions to Assistant City Manager, Gary Nordquist and the council months ago. And, Kailee, I voted for the original parks tax, and have paid it for all four years - even though I thought it WAS flawed and unfair. Should Measure "D" fail, as it looks might happen, I would be happy to provide them to a new committee for consideration. Measure "D" is really not about parks, it is about NEW HIGHER TAXES and a new method of taxation call MELLO-ROOS based district. Tax supporters continue to scare the good people of Wildomar by saying parks will close, in an efford to get this very bad method of taxation past. This is a NEW TAX as I stated in my article and I suggest you re-read it again. Also Wildomar didn't pay the costs of the lawsuit over the old tax. It was the County of Riverside that was suited, and had the burden and expense of defending the poorly conceived, illegal tax. Our city council has know for years that the courts might declare the old tax illegal and lose the parks funding. They had the opportunity to plan for losing the funding, but didn't plan ahead. Measure "D" is MELLO-ROOS based, and that's a very bad method of taxation. Readers, get the facts and VOTE NO on Measure "D".
If you have questions related to my article or the issues, I am happy to answer them. However, many comments to this blog have become repetitive and uncivil personal attacks as opposed to useful debate. Even I have given into temptation to respond sharply. It hard not to...in the face of CONSTANT BAITING from tax supporters like Tina and Tracy! What we have here are a handful of virulent tax supporters blogging over and over again, often with all manner of off subject personal stuff that has nothing to do with the questions surrounding Measure "D". It is simply meant to distract readers and voters' attention away from the real issues. Tax supporters are just asking questions that they hope will imply opponents are doing something wrong. Like the one below regarding spending reports. The FPPC requires both sides to report, and the city is required to report on how they spend the money people donated to the city for parks. So the questions posed by Doug A below are just an attempt to imply that opponents might be doing something wrong. They are meant to taunt and bait. For for these reasons, and in support of civility, I will no longer be responding to them under this blog
Do you ever get tired of justifying your own poor behavior!!! this comment by Martha-> (Even I have given into temptation to respond sharply), does that make it all better for you. And again I ask you, please don't be fooled by these two. Help keep our Community parks open VOTE YES on measure D. On June 7th.
If your buget has been affected by these economic times to the point where you just can't afford the 54 cents each week, that's a tough place to be. Most of the people I've met working with H.O.P.E. doing food distribution that are at that level of financial need don't own their own homes so they won't be paying this property tax. Being a property owner in a community does have some responsibilities. What happens within the community effects your property values, and in some cases what you do on your property effects your neighbors. Under your circumstances I understand your desire to reduce personal cost, even if it is harmful to the community at large, as you just don't have the funds. I can only hope the vast majority of the comunity is not that financially restricted and can make the 54 cent a week investment in higher having property values, better community and a great place for families to go together.
There are two budget lines for the parks in Wildomar's budget. One for maintenance which we voted on in 2006, and one for entertainment and recreation programs which we had no say in approving. It is true that some $7,000. to $8,000,000 of RDA funds where used to refurbishing of the parks. Some people have a real problem with the use of RDA funds for this project as they feel they were illegally used for this purpose - because the project was completely outside of the RDA district rather than used for legal uses on projects WITHIN the district. I would suggest to readers that no individuals were responsible for the original tax funding to be lost or refunded. The courts, ACTING ON THE ESTABLISHED LAW, decided that the OLD tax assessment was flawed and illegal. While the city's records many not reflect any surplus, there are things funded in the budget that are far less important or essential than keeping out parks open. The city council and staff are understandably reluctant to make cuts and shift funds around to maintain our parks. The money in the entertainment and recreations programs is nearly enought to maintain the parks and keep them open. This is all about defining priorities. At the heart of all these disputes is the question about whether Wildomar is conducting the city's business according to the law. The end doesn't justify the means. We need to do things right and properly. VOTE NO on Measure "D". It is not a good solution.
Martha L. Bridges 1:23pm on Monday, May 16, 2011 Dear Readers, For for these reasons, and in support of civility, I will no longer be responding to them under this blog <-These where your words yesterday! Martha you are NEVER all that TRUTHFUL! This is someone that always has to have the last word no matter what, let's all see if she can resist .:))
http://www.wildomarvoice.com/archives.asp?CAT=2
As a resident of Wildomar for 21 years, let us look back to the years when our Parks were closed. At our monthly MAC meeting, people would stand up and complain about what our kids were doing wrong in the neighborhoods. Let us look back at the complaints: Remember the loud Mini-Motorcycles? The loud Motorized Skateboards with handles ? When homes were vandalized? The kids were playing ball in the streets and running thru peoples yards? Home values plummeted 10 to 15%, and will again if parks close. Our Kids are our most important resource of the future for our Community. For a little over 7-1/2 cents a day to save our Parks is it worth going thru everything again? With a down turn in the market are you willing to lose another 10 to 15% on your house value? Lets take a $270,000 house and remove 10% if the parks close, that’s $27,000 at 15% is $40,500. Let’s divide $27,000 by $28.00 yearly cost for parks. You would pay for parks for 964 years. At $40,500, you would pay for parks for 1446 years. Is it worth closing parks, No! The numbers show it’s cheaper to pay 71/2 cents a day and keep the parks open. Let’s build a City we can all be proud of. Vote Yes on Parks Please Note: Marna O’Brien park was approved as a National Forest Staging area for our Trails. Who’s Chairman of the BMUT Trail Committee? Guess! Gary Andre
I am not a homeowner/parcelowner, or double parcelowner so I will not be taxed, but I will vote, and this forum gives me no new information to sway my vote, it just seems like banter, back and forth.
There is the Video, speakers, City council meetings, and the opponents speaking. Scroll down this link there is lots of information on what it took to go through the process, for our Parks.
http://wildomarvoice.com/CalView.asp?ID=2149 June 7th Vote Yes on D.
Council Chambers Tuesday, May 24 6:30pm. 23873 Clinton Keith Road RSVP - Seating is Limited. Gary Nordquist at gnordquist@cityofwildomar.org or 951.677.7751.
Those who believe we have money for parks, I urge you to come to this meeting to see the city budget yourself. The City of Wildomar is hosting a Budget Workshop for residents to give input regarding the 2011/12 Budget. Council Chambers Tuesday, May 24 6:30pm. 23873 Clinton Keith Road RSVP - Seating is Limited. Gary Nordquist at gnordquist@cityofwildomar.org or 951.677.7751.