Hands off Measure C

Good infrastructure is the foundation of a vibrant economy, literally. Communities need to maintain, repair and rebuild roads on an ongoing basis to keep everyone and everything moving.
At the same time, all across California, lawmakers at the local, county and state Capitol level have made a habit out of diverting money from special funds into general funds to patch budget holes they can’t figure out how to fill.
In his final report to Benicia’s mayor and City Council, Interim City Manager Steve Salomon – who is a good man, and effectively served our community – estimated that $1.7 million of the anticipated $4.5 million Measure C revenue will go directly into The City’s general fund…
Hold the phone.
That is not what 63.1 percent of the voters agreed to in 2014.
This is what nearly two thirds of Benicia voters agreed to:
“… the City of Benicia [shall] enact a one cent sales tax with authority to incur bonded indebtedness to accelerate infrastructure projects, requiring independent annual audits, Citizens’ Oversight, all revenue for Benicia, none for Sacramento.”
This measure was created, and overwhelmingly approved by the voters, for the explicit purpose of fixing infrastructure in Benicia, namely our roads which are the second worst in Solano County. If money from Measure C goes into the general fund that does everyone a disservice.
Therefore, I encourage a member of Benicia’s City Council to step forward and amend the language of Measure C to explicitly state that no revenue ($0.00) goes into the general fund, and at least 50 percent of the revenue collected on an annual basis goes directly to street resurfacing. This protected revenue source would be nearly 50 percent of what Benicia needs to spend, on an_annual basis, to prevent its roads from further deterioration.
I would like to see Measure C funds protected and used for their intended purposes.

Lionel Largaespada,
Benicia

Let’s review Steve’s final report

Interim City Manager Steve Salomon was outstanding and will be missed. It is time for the mayor and her socialist partner on the council to get serious. Valero is not the Bank of Benicia. A big question to Councilmember Steve Young is: How is the Benicia Library funded? Do you even know? I would assume you would know, it is a budget item. You got elected? Yes, you did, and now it is time for you to do some real homework on the city finances.
The new councilmember’s performance at the council meeting on finances is pathetic. I am not even an elected official and know more about the finances of the city than Councilmember Young. We do not need long- winded testimonial on issues that the new councilmember is not even understanding. This city is facing some big time financial issues.It will all be dicussed at the Feb. 28 council meeting. Now is your chance, Councilmember Young, to get updated and make some meaningful comments. Revenue is going to be a major issue over the next few years, short term. The long term is even worse. All of that is because we do not have an economic development plan, both short and long term. Yes, we have Measure C which is a 60/40 split, 60 percent going to infrastructure. That over the next three years will disappear, and it appears all Measure C will go to the city general fund. What are some of the major causes? CalPers on the employer side, workmens compensation and employee benefits/salaries (I support employee salaries). At the same time, they will always be there and must be accounted for. At one time employee salaries/benefits were at about 75 percent of the general fund. They then briefly went to about 64 percent, they are now going to be about 70 percent and rising.
The Feb. 28 council meeting is going to be very important. It will tell a not so nice story. Yes some will be very good, but in the long term, this city is in a world of hurt. Revenue stream is the big issue. The costs go up, revenue is stagnant. So what do you get? Not enough money to continue on the present pace without a very good economic plan. I am not against investment in an economic plan, but I was against the Wolf cost of about $605,000 without results. An economic plan with set goals and accountability will be necessary. It does appear our new city manager has those qualities. The big problem will be if she will have the time to do that. Not at present with the financial issues this city has.
I will be writing after the Feb. 28 meeting. The “OWL” cares. Stay tuned.

Bob “The Owl” Livesay,
Benicia

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