Measure R --- Some Facts!

By Dan Pillsbury

• Does Anyone Know The Truth?
• Define Truth?

• Why Am I Voting NO On Measure R?
• Glad You Asked!

• Stick to the facts, so the other side can't hurt you.

  Easy to say, but no one is doing it. Bottom line we don't know for certain how bad or what type of events will transpire if it passes. Delta Greens is history, along with the impact fees of sixty million dollars. It won't have any impact for the next few years, and it will have to be challenged in court, (The City pays all costs I'm sure). But there will be more problems if it passes than if it doesn't. And no one seems to hit the nail on the head with all of their facts.

• But, Why all the HYPE?"

  I had to question the Galt Herald's rationalization for not asking me for input. Since I wrote the "Argument Against Measure R" for the ballot, it seems sensible to have me contribute something. They had the same group of Measure R supporters that wrote the ballot argument do the one for the Herald.

If accurate information had been written, I wouldn't have minded. But, the paper printed misleading statements from both groups. Which tells me, they don't care about accuracy.

• That bothers me! Quite a bit!

  People will read it and vote according to which ever version they believed.

• Both versions are misleading.

  The main thing to remember is this:

• If Measure R passes, it could be big trouble for Galt.

• If it is postponed, and a citizens/builders committee is formed, to work s together on good ordinance, we'll be fine.

• There is no runaway growth in Galt,
• There hasn't been any since 1990 to 1993.

  That is the worst misleading statement of the proponents.

  Here are some good examples of slanted facts! Straight from their fancy web site.

• Statement: "This initiative will allow schools to plan for enrollments by knowing exactly how many houses will be built in the city every year."

  My Response: Measure R would allow up to 308 homes to be built in its first year. Galt hasn't had 308 homes built in one year since 1993. How will Measure R tell you how many homes will be built in a year? It doesn't tell you anything, or help at all. It puts a limit on permits. Nothing more.

• Fact: Measure R does not help the schools plan at all!

• Question: "What has Lodi done to control growth?
• Answer: "The City of Lodi has had a 2% residential growth rate for the last 11 years. It has responsibly managed its growth, maintained its quality of life and still attracted major retail business."

  My Response: Measure R supporters must be thinking of a different Lodi than the one south of Galt! The truth is, Lodi had a significant population when the original ordinance was adopted. It was overturned in court, so the council put together a committee to create a new one.

• Fact: Lodi's ordinance is much better than Measure R, because of the way it was done. Not behind closed doors.

Commercial and retail is just now starting to do well. That is straight from a developer in Lodi that helped write their ordinance. We were told all about this at a council meeting, but no changes were allowed to make Measure R like Lodi's ordinance. The speaker laughed when he heard Measure R was patterned after Lodi's. He said it isn't even close, and it isn't.

• Fact: Lodi had a much better tax base and revenue source, before they adopted a Growth Ordinance.
• Fact: It doesn't matter about Lodi. Measure R is not even close. Let's focus on Galt!

• Statement: "This initiative gives you, the citizen voter, the right to decide the future growth of this city. Indecisiveness, infighting and the growing influence of outside special interests on our city council will impede decisions important to our quality of life."

  My Response: So, because of Measure R, the voter gets the right to decide the future, because the council can't, due to infighting and blah blah blah!

• Who has the majority of council seats right now? Three Measure R supporters.

• Who hand picked the last appointed council member? The other two supporters of Measure R.

• Who is spending the most money to get elected?

• A Measure R Supporter! "SURPRISE!

• What special interests are influencing the proponents? No one is influencing me!

• Check out galtgrowth.com and see the candidates they support.
• Don't give them any more control. You have to try and keep some balance of ideas.

• Statement: "If residential growth limitations are enacted, over time you'll notice outstanding needed projects getting completed and schools becoming less crowded."

  My Response: Again -- if residential growth limitations are enacted -- on what? Why would you want to put limits on a healthy growth rate of 4.5% and cap it at 5%? The average is important more so than the annual amount.

• Fact: We've had the same slow growth for almost 10 years.
• Fact: In 1999 we rezoned every vacant parcel in Galt to 10,000 square feet lots.
• Fact: In 1999 we formed the Architectural Review Committee. Every new project comes before the committee to get approved!
• Fact: The standards have changed in Galt. We control Growth now.

• My View: The supporters don't have a clue what the facts are. Growth Control is just a popular thing to be involved with right now!

The other statement that limiting growth makes projects happen sooner. Some one should tell them were the money comes from! Where did the money come from to pay for the new Community Park, and the Police Station, and other projects? The City collected impact fees when the homes are built. And they belong to Landscape and Lighting districts that have to pay extra money every year to maintain the quality f the town.

• Fact: Projects are paid for by impact fees up front, and maintained by additional money paid by new residents every year.

• Fact: Less home building = less money = less projects being built. Not faster in anyway.

• Here's something that might happen though.

Currently, Galt has three or four builders. Companies like Emerald Park and Elliot Homes. When they finish their existing projects, who will build?

• Your growth drops down to just people who build their own homes.

• It's so ridiculous. It shows the supporters have no concept of how new projects are paid for.

• Fact: The High School is over crowded for sure, but it includes students from the county and other towns like Thornton, and Walnut Grove, Even San Joaquin County. Will Measure R slow down the building is those communities?
• Fact: NO

• Statement: "Measure R will manage our city's residential growth and keep Galt from becoming just another sprawling metropolis like Elk Grove, Folsom or Roseville."

  My Response: Again, get a map out and look at where you live.

• Fact: Galt has physical boundaries that limit how far it can grow.
• Dry Creek to the South;
• The flood Plain to the West (as well as homes spread everywhere);
• Skunk or Laguna Creek North; and East?
• I doubt Sacramento County or LAFCO will let us build to Herald.

And please explain how capping a growth rate at 5% is going to manage our growth? Especially a Cap that we haven't hit for nine years.

• Fact: Measure R doesn't manage anything.
• Fact: It puts a limit on homes being built. That is All It Does!
• Fact: It does nothing to manage growth.

• Question: "Will Elk Grove move into or acquire Galt lands we want to keep for Galt? No - if Elk Grove tried to acquire lands next to Galt, the City of Galt would oppose it, the county would oppose it and the Nature Conservancy would oppose it. Elk Grove has plenty of land to develop in Elk Grove."

  My Response: What world have they been in. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors doesn't even recognize our Sphere of Influence anymore. They are rezoning property at a massive rate.

• Fact: A majority of Supervisors stated openly at their last two meetings, related to County growth, that Galt has had twenty five years to come up with a plan for their Sphere of Influence, and they haven't.

• That is not what I consider a plan, and supporters have no idea of how to plan. They believe limiting the amount of homes that can be built in a year, somehow solves any growth problems that may or may not happen someday.

• And that is the my objection to the whole measure. No plan, no way for council to plan, and no way for developers to plan. No plan whatsoever. And, it could get ugly waiting to have an election to see what the people decide.

• In Conclusion:

• Hey, here's my thought;

• Let the public vote on everything and abolish the council. Have an election every month or so, and let the people decide everything. It's easy, it's simple, and it may be the solution. I don't think anyone wants that, but that is the general idea I get from supporters of Measure R.

• Measure R has more flaws.

Please call me if you have any questions on any subject. I would welcome them.

• Call me at my Home Phone.
• 745-3517

I welcome any chance to discuss this with the public.

Updated 10-27-02 at 6:00 AM