Wildomar Has A Choice

The ballots are in the mail. Wildomar has a choice to make. Do we want parks or will they be shuttered for good? 

The issue is less complicated than it seems. When Wildomar became a city, the majority of voters opted for a small parks assessment.  Wildomar resident Steve Beutz didn't like the way it was set up and filed a lawsuit. 

Initially, the courts ruled in favor of Wildomar. But then a three-judge panel ruled in favor of Beutz and we were back to a special election in which we need almost 67 percent of the vote. 

The minority opponents are running around like Chicken Little  with their hair on fire screaming "Mello Roos."  No one wants a Mello Roos assessment as it has a negative connotation and they are being misleading.  This is not like the traditional Mello Roos in that we aren't building a building or creating anything.  It's a special assessment of $28 per year per parcel.  Is that too much to ask for parks? 

Martha Bridges, an outspoken Wildomar citizen who ran for city council twice and failed, has campaigned ferociously to keep this special assessment from passing. Between the two of them, Martha and Steve have spent a fair amount of money to avoid a small annual expense, and to what end?  They have all kinds of implausible arguments, but the bottom line here is that if we don't vote for the parks assessment, there will be no funds to keep the parks open and they will be shuttered. 

Every one of our city council members supports this measure and wants to keep our parks open. What happens if they close?  We will be in the same position we were before Wildomar became a city, we voted for the parks assessment and they re-opened. Landscaping will have to be replaced at a cost. The buildings will likely be vandalized and there will be clean up costs. The neighbors surrounding the parks will be calling the city to supervise what occurs in the parks after dark. 

Do we really want to start over? It will cost us a lot more to plant grass again (after a long hot summer of no water) and clean up what will most certainly be in disrepair after months or years of being closed to the public. 

We came this far. It took us years to get our parks back. Are we going to let a few naysayers deprive us of our concerts and movies in the park, car shows, teen nights, and Easter egg hunts?  Please join us on Wednesday May 11th at 6 p.m. at the City Hall flag pole -- 23873 Clinton Keith Rd., Wildomar -- to show your support for parks. Be a part of a historic photo and video and please vote YES to save our parks!