Rebuttals to arguments for and against Davis tax increase (Measure Q)
August 20, 2024
By Roberta Millstein
Yesterday, I posted the ballot arguments for and against Measure Q, which would increase Davis's current retail transactions and use tax from 1% to 2%. Here are the rebuttals to those arguments that will also appear on the November ballot. See the County's website (where these arguments are also posted) for more details: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/417/Measure-Q---City-of-Davis
Rebuttal to argument in favor of Measure Q:
The Davis City Council is insisting “Measure Q is critical for the health, safety, and financial stability of Davis”. But Measure Q is just a band-aid placed over a massive, self-inflicted financial wound caused by uncontrolled spending on additional programs, a complete failure to implement an economic development plan, and giving senior management huge raises.
For the Davis City Council to now claim the city has “worked diligently to manage existing resources, trimming expenses” is downright laughable when they have actually given away the store! The recent salary increases for employees were well beyond the inflation rate. It now costs the City more than $11 million/year for excessive raises given over the past decade.
While the Davis City Council contends Measure Q will support upgrades to the city’s aging infrastructure, such as “filling potholes and repaving streets and bike paths”, they just did the exact opposite by reducing funding for street maintenance by $1.5 million/year. So how can we believe them?
The Davis City Council also claims “Measure Qhelps address homelessness and affordable housing”.
- First, Measure Q is a general tax, so there are no guarantees how it will be spent.
- Second, duplication of County social services for homelessness would result, at a time when the city is desperately hurting for funding.
- Third, shoveling $1 million/year into the City of Davis Affordable Housing Program does virtually nothing to solve the homelessness problem because low income housing can cost up to $650,000/unit.
Stop the massive, unsustainable bleeding in our city’s finances.
Send a Strong Message to the Davis City Council - Vote NO on Measure Q!
/s/ Elaine Roberts Musser
2014 City of Davis Citizen of the Year; Former Chair, Utilities Commission; Former Chair, Senior Citizens Commission/s/ Mark Mezger, President
Yolo County Taxpayers Association/s/ Jeff Miller
Former Chair, Davis Finance and Budget Commission/s/ Jeff Boone
Davis Resident & Downtown Business Owner/s/ Alan Pryor
Treasurer, Yes on Measure D – 2012 Davis Parks Tax Renewal;
Principal Officer, Yes on Measure O, 2014 Davis 0.5% Sales Tax
Rebuttal to argument against Measure Q:
The City of Davis has worked diligently to manage its limited fiscal resources while protecting essential services and staff positions. Now, like every city in Yolo County, Davis must address the pressing need for additional revenue to keep pace with inflation and rising costs.
Until recently, Davis staff salaries were well below regional averages. Through careful management, we have brought our public employees, including first responders and firefighters, to regional pay parity. The City’s most recent financial audit, certified by an independent audit firm, concluded that the City appropriately accounted for its revenues and expenditures.
In 2020, the City adopted a comprehensive plan to address our unmet infrastructure needs. Even then, we identified the need for additional revenue to improve and maintain city roads, sidewalks, and bike paths. Costs have only increased since then.
Yes on Measure Q is crucial for our community’s health, safety, and financial stability. Our community has grown and costs have surged, but revenue hasn’t kept up.
Yes on Measure Q will help restore our General Fund reserves depleted by COVID-19 and its aftermath, ensuring Davis remains financially resilient.
Yes on Measure Q also ensures Davis remains competitive within the region, attracting and retaining the talent and services our community deserves.
Measure Q is a thoughtfully developed investment in our community’s future, ensuring that Davis remains a safe, vibrant, and welcoming place for all.
Please join small business owners, community leaders, former Mayors, and a unanimous Davis City Council—vote Yes on Measure Q.
Learn more at YesOnQforDavis.com
/s/ Josh Chapman
Davis Mayor/s/ Bapu Vaitla
Davis Vice Mayor/s/ Gloria Partida
Davis City Councilmember, former Mayor/s/ Will Arnold
Davis City Councilmember, former Mayor/s/ Donna Neville
Davis City Councilmember
Roberta,
The rebuttals I posted in the comments yesterday provide a different perspective than those you posted here. Feel free to use any of my arguments in your campaigning materials against Measure Q.
Posted by: Jay | August 20, 2024 at 11:47 AM
Jay, I am not campaigning against Measure Q and had nothing to do with the arguments presented here. I read them for the first time when I saw them on the County's website. But if you want to get involved, you could contact one or more of the signers of the argument.
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | August 20, 2024 at 12:57 PM