An important election
For many, this November’s election is insignificant due to it not being a presidential election. However, for the citizens of Benicia, it holds great significance.
Residents and business owners have been burdened with a City Council of “tax and spend” philosophy these last few years. Increases in water rates, building fees, security alarm permits and fees, to name a few, have been passed swiftly and enforced. Trivial to some, the request to pay in full for replacement of our city’s water meters, which has fallen on deaf ears, as well as the outpouring of citizens requesting the resistance to cannabis. Seemingly, the City Council crafts the acceptance and shores up the votes, rushing their agenda.
All residents should applaud Mark Hughes and, on occasion, Alan Schwartzman and Tom Campbell for a viewpoint of caution and conservatism. We are now losing two of these councilmembers. How this will impact this city depends on the voters.
Faced with how this next election is headed within this town of 28,000 people, “Tax and spend” philosophy will eventually come to a point like the state of California, which means exodus for many of us. View your property tax, water and fuel bills and at some point, you will begin to see the viability of the home prices are not supported, In turn, home prices stagnate and then begin to fall as word gets out regarding the “tax and spend” philosophy of this council.
Benicia needs business and what that yields for this city. This includes Valero for its tax base, jobs and all the small business it supports. Additionally, these businesses contribute to the fiscal structure of Benicia. However, in the case of Amports, a lease is drawn and signed in 1996, and then in 2018, the city will no longer honor a legal agreement they made through 2031 with Amports. At some point, if this antagonism against business continues, they will begin to leave. Why does the council deem it necessary to verbally attack businesses which don’t fit their parameters?
To add to what appears to be a financial disparity of this “tax and spend” philosophy, funds are being sent to Sacramento to increase retirement income for city staff and increase their wages. These funds are provided by every citizen who resides here. One only needs to observe the roads we use daily and notice the disrepair. How are these funds used? Certainly, there are no improvements at the Yacht Club or Marina. Concerns are the buildings and derelict vessels in the harbor and lack of dredging, to name a few issues there.
The city we call Benicia and our home needs to be righted. The conservativeness in our voices are no longer heard. Please vote while recognizing the consequences of your vote and the direction of our city’s future impact on you.
Stewart Hall,
Benicia
Missed opportunity in Democratic endorsements
Thanks to that idiot in the White House, if there is ever going to be a Year of the Woman in politics, 2018 is it. In Benicia, there are two City Council openings and there are two women running for those slots. I’ve known them both for many years, and they both can do a good job. They just need to remember the City Council job is pretty straightforward, control the city finances, maintain the services and roads, and protect the residents’ health and safety. If we ever get those things under control, then maybe we can look at more esoteric issues.
The City Council position is an administrative nonpartisan job. Candidates generally go out and look for support from various groups that extol a set of ideals and goals. However this is where the rub in this election has occurred for me. The Solano County Democratic Central Committee, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia and the United Democrats of Southern Solano County only endorsed one of the two female City Council candidates who asked for their support. Both also happened to be longtime Democrats, which should have helped them both get those endorsements, but it didn’t. I was a Democrat my whole voting life, 47 years, so I think I know what Democrats stand for. Part of the bedrock for Democrats is diversity, support women’s rights and support women in politics. These three Democratic groups could not have dropped the ball worse when they didn’t support both these women. The Democrats in these groups have lost their way, and that’s why I’ve changed my voter registration to “Decline to State.”I haven’t forgotten what a Democrat stands for so I haven’t left the Democrats, the Solano County Democrats have left me.
Or as Trump might tweet, “Democrats don’t support both the qualified Democratic women running for two open City Council seats. Sad.”
Dr. Tom Campbell,
Benicia City Council
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Good article Tom. You know the reason they only supported one candidate. The three democratic endorsements mean nothing at all. It is sad but not surprising. If I was Birdseye I would not tout those endorsements. I would run for the hills. I do believe three sitting members on the city council supported Strawbridge and only two supported Birdseye. I will take the three/two any day of the week. Vote for Strawbridge and Lionel and take your city away from ,these very narrow minded groups. It is your city. NOW STAND UP TO THESE GROUPS. Vote for your city not personal agenda driven ideals.
Tom the only thing I did not like about your letter is the first line. I would not call the present mayor or her candidate for city council an idiot. After all Birdseye would do no name calling. I am sure she will call you out for using the naming call term IDIOT. Lets see if that happens. I doubt that. OH I forgot it was a Republican you called an IDIOT. That is OK in Benicia. But the political ID of those three groups calling them Socialist is not OK simply because they are Democrats.
Mr. Hall, Seems that you are holding up property tax as one reason that some folks contemplate leaving California. At an average of 0.79%, I don’t think we are doing that bad. As an aside, California, for a multitude of reasons and for quite a while, has been a State where people have been willing to pay more to live.
Mr. Campbell, .Love the opening line of your letter,
Thomas when you buy a house in Benicia your property tax rate will be about 1.2% of purchase price and then 2% per year after that. it is true that homes will appreciate at more than 2% maybe. But anyone buying at present will pay a huge property tax. if I bought my house at todays property evaluation I would be paying twice as much in property taxes than I am presently paying. That is why homeowners in California love Prop 13. . I bought nine years ago.
Thanks for the aside, Bob. Are you sure on the Benicia tax rate? I show it as being being 0.71%. How do you come up with 1.2%?
Thomas ask any realtor. They will give you the full explanation. You may be looking at an average. So ,if my home is assessed at $500,000 I am still paying at the original purchase price. So you could say $500,00 assess and pay the ,original dollar amount plus ,the 2%. very easy to figure ,that out. $4000 on a $500,000 assessed value would be about ..80%. The 2% is based on the last year dollar taxes. So if taxes were $4000 your new tax bill would be $4080. Prop 13 protects the homeowner from paying on the actual value of the home until it is sold to a new owner. So there is an incentive to hang on to the home for many years.
OK, but, (0.8% x 500,0000) + (4,000 x2%) still does not come out to 1.2% of 500,000. It may make sense if you are comparing original purchase price vs. an increased assessed value. However, who does that?
The going rate is on new purchase. The actual % will vary depending on length of time. People who already own a home know all this. It is new purchasers that are interested in the rate. As homes are resold the overall rate you are referring to will rise as the low rates go off the books. Very simple Thomas.
OK. However, I’m not quite sure how the paradigm of our discussion became limited to new purchases, specifically in Benicia. And, furthermore, you would then have to utilize that paradigm when comparing property tax rates to states where other people are moving to, rather than comparing it to average property tax rate. Which gets back to my original question to Mr. Hall about one of the reasons he offers as an exodus out of California. He stated, “View your property tax”. I’m not sure he was addressing this to potential buyers, but rather, established owners. That said I’m not sure it is really worth any further discussion.
And if an addition beyond registered floor plan will trigger a new audit and new result.
Prop 13 is the boogie man for the Dems. Due to Prop 13, CA property taxes are states. Not low, average. All other taxes in CA are top 5 highest compared to other states.
CA deficits and debt is due to spending, primarily CalPERS. Not taxation. Spending.
You are correct Matter. When someone is moving to California one of the first things they ask is how much property tax will I pay. It will be the assessed price at sale plus 2% each year after that. Thomas seems to think the .80% he quoted is what everyone pays. Not true. That % applies to folks that have been in their house a number of years. There are also areas in California where property values have dropped and areas where the values have not gone up as much as say the bay area. So the .80% is just an average to figure state revenue. Very simple.