League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure G Vital City Services Protection Measure City of Morgan Hill Utility Users Tax - Majority Approval Required Fail: 5,103 / 35.22% Yes votes ...... 9,384 / 64.78% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure G

Arguments Against Measure G

Nothing is more important to the community than public safety; our highest priority. The City continues its managed growth; there are new stores and restaurants and more activities for kids and families. But the level of police staffing has not kept pace and prevents us from providing the best and safest services. After an extended period of intense study and community input, it is clear that we need to efficiently deploy more officers on patrol. We need to expand anti-gang and anti-drug enforcement efforts as crime and gang activity increase in Morgan Hill. We need more crime prevention officers in neighborhoods to improve safety and protect the quality of life we enjoy in our community. Morgan Hill has the lowest ratio of police officers to population in Santa Clara County as well as one of the lowest per capita tax rates. Your City Council manages the city to put your money to work as efficiently as possible. Additional revenues are needed to pay for increased police staffing and services. Your entire City Council supports the need for significantly more officers. A 2% tax on utility bills is a reasonable investment to make to provide more effective, efficient and safer services. It is less than half the rate assessed by neighboring cities. This measure will save overtime payment expenses. None of the money raised by this measure can be taken by the state or county - it all stays right here in Morgan Hill. Extraordinary financial accountability features are implemented by Measure G. In addition to annual audits, every two years, the measure will be publicly reviewed, and only two elected City Council member votes would be needed to overturn it. Please join your neighbors and friends in supporting vital City services that protect our community's safety, vote YES on Measure G. /s/ Steve Tate Mayor, City of Morgan Hill /s/ Dennis Kennedy Former Mayor /s/ Laura L. Brunton Board Member, Chamber of Commerce /s/ Jeannette K. Riley Senior Advisory Commissioner /s/ Shane Palsgrove President, Police Officers Association Rebuttal to Arguments For Without a doubt, the most important services the City is responsible for are: police, fire, sewer, and water. We strongly support public safety services. But this utility tax is about Recreation Department losses. The Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency ("RDA") spent $65 million building the following recreational facilities that Council Members Tate, Sellers, and Carr pledged would be financially sound: 2002 -- Community Center -- $13.6 million 2002 -- Community Playhouse -- $3.0 million 2004 -- Aquatics Center -- $13.5 million 2006 -- Centennial Recreation Center -- $27.5 million 2007 -- Outdoor Sports Center -- $7.7 million Yet, Recreation Department expenses have consistently exceeded revenues resulting in huge losses. Losses over the last six years totaled $6.6 million, and for the next five years are projected to be $8.8 million. (These figures are from the 2003 through 2008 "Operating and CIP Budget" reports published annually by the City.) Without these losses, the city could have $15.4 million from which to pay for additional police services. Council Members Tate, Sellers, and Carr pledged to build financially sound recreational facilities and they failed. They have turned their failure into a utility tax. Without a doubt, taxpayers need and must demand strong fiscal management. If the City wants more tax money, a financially sound Recreation Department plan should be presented. We work hard for the money. Don't let the City ignore Recreation Department losses. Vote November 4th against the utility tax, Measure G. To see images of supporting documents and more details visit: http://www.gNoWay.com /s/ Patricia A Eldridge Treasurer, CAUGHT Again /s/ Arthur T. College II Director of Finance/Assistant City Manager (Former) /s/ Marion V. Smith Concerned Resident /s/ Douglas A. McNea President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association

Vote NO because: For Election Day November, 1999 current Council Members, Tate, Sellers, and Carr, signed a ballot argument (Measure D) asking voters to extend the RDA to build, among other items, recreation facilities. They pledged that 1) only financially sound facilities would be built, 2)no bonded debt issued, 3) facilities' operations would not raise taxes. All three pledges will be broken if this measure passes. Here's what actually happened. Fiscal Year Ending June ("FYEJune") 2003: December - Community & Cultural Center Grand Opening Recreation operating LOSS -- $616,127 FYEJune 2004: June - Aquatics Center Grand Opening Recreation operating LOSS -- $917,986 FYEJune 2005: July - Treasurer: "five year plan... identified... strong potential for a shortage of revenue" Feb - Carr: "Council...policy in place... projects are to break even" May - Tate: "pledge was made to the public to make these operations cost recovery" May - Sellers: Council "may have put themselves in a box declaring these facilities would be able to pay for themselves" June - Grzan: "City has built facilities without a mechanism to sustain them" Recreation operating LOSS -- $1,018,906 FYEJune 2006: January - Council begins Community Conversation regarding General Fund LOSS April - Community Conversation Results - "31% supported cuts to recreation" Recreation operating LOSS -- $1,065,414 FYEJune 2007: October - Centennial Recreation Center Grand Opening Recreation operating LOSS -- $1,632,428 FYEJune 2008: November - Outdoor Sports Center Grand Opening January - Council issued $110,000,000 RDA bonded debt May - City Connections newsletter mentions only public safety shortfall Recreation operating LOSS projection -- $1,379,594 July 2008 through June 2013: November - Proposed Utility Tax, "Vital City Services Protection Measure", raises $1,600,000 annually Recreation operating LOSS projection -- $8,770,602 ($1,754,120 yearly) This tax is about recreation losses and money management, not public safety. /s/ Patricia A Eldridge Treasurer CAUGHT Again /s/ Lisa Fay Johnson Assistant Controller /s/ Marion V. Smith Concerned Resident /s/ Arthur T. College II Dir. of Finance/Asst. City Mgr. (Former) Rebuttal to Arguments Against It seems that government at all levels is talking about raising taxes to continue providing services during tough economic times. Measure G is a local measure for local services right here in Morgan Hill. The Council and the community strongly support the need for expanding police services and Measure G will provide the revenue to make a big difference. The expenditure of the funds generated by Measure G will be decided right here in Morgan Hill with regular public review and accountability to the taxpayers of Morgan Hill. Recreation programs and facilities help build a stronger community and make Morgan Hill attractive to new private investment. But what we need now are more police officers on the street. Vote YES on Measure G. /s/ Steve Tate Mayor, City of Morgan Hill /s/ Shane Palsgove President, Police Offices Association /s/ J. Robert Foster Attorney at Law /s/ Lorenza "Lori" Escobar Youth Advocate /s/ Marby Lee Councilmember