Grand Terrace residents deserve to know the facts about Measure “N,” the proposed one-percent sales tax initiative on the ballot this November 3rd.
Everybody in and out of politics knows about the natural tendency for citizens to mistrust their representatives. Afterall, history has proven those in authority often succumb to personal agendas that diverge wildly from what would benefit the common good. And a person would have to be living under a rock not to acknowledge that greed in some form or fashion exerts enormous pressure upon good intentions. Government at the highest reaches deteriorates in direct proportion to risk and reward. Rare are those who serve mankind with altruistic intent, leaders who are willing to step into a challenge first and lead by doing the heavy work without thinking of recompense.
The Grand Terrace City Council is comprised of ordinary citizens who live their lives day-to-day in accordance with a moral code born out of faith and experience. The world would have us believe that trust is predicated solely on singular incidences, but like any solid foundation for good work, trust is best constructed upon solid planning, a clearly defined scope of work, proper preparation, the right materials, expert implementation, subject to expert supervision. The current Grand Terrace City Council has worked hard to establish a new legacy of trust and dependability. It has not been the habit of the council to toot its own horn about accomplishments.
A budget is a wish list, backed by assumptions; therefore, a budget is only as good as the assumptions it is based on. The City of Grand Terrace does not spend money it does not have. Because the city is largely a bedroom community, property tax revenue is mostly what keeps the city alive. By the time the county takes its cut, we survive on 17-cents of every dollar paid in property tax. Our sales tax revenue is generated from gas stations, store fronts, wholesalers, retailers, auto sales, and restaurants, but only on taxable goods.
While our San Bernardino County Sheriff contract has been lump-sum inclusive since the formation of the city in 1978, there is no language in the agreement that says that the county must lose money to provide law enforcement. Over the years we have successfully rolled one-time property or sales tax windfalls into some additional Sheriff overtime. In order to establish a consistent supportable safety program, we desperately a dependable source of funding. That is what Measure “N” is all about. Every year the Grand Terrace City Council struggles to provide funds for pro-rated service increases and cost of living adjustments. Today, our backs are against the wall. The council has budgeted for an additional officer, but the funding for it is on the ballot. The reason why the council pursued a General Tax instead of a Special Tax is because a 50% plus one vote had a better chance of being approved by voters than a 66.66% vote. There was no secret agenda. The quickest and best way to increase law enforcement presence in Grand Terrace was always the objective – period. Your old “Budget Watchdog” takes issue with any opposing opinion. And just for the record, the City Council has the right to restrict the use of any fund contributed to the General Fund, thus limiting redirection to “other municipal purposes.”
There will always be small projects and repairs that are necessary because our parks and facilities are for the enjoyment of the people. The City Council examines check registers and budget line item by line item before approval. Proposed contracts and purchases are included in each agenda and examined by the council before approval. Because the council does its homework before each public meeting, questions are posed to the City Manager and answered to enhance understanding. The council does not rely on ghost “policies” to make decisions. Spending examination is done with the benefit of bi-weekly check register presentations, quarterly reports, consultant advisories on anticipated tax revenues, future forecasting by third parties; armed with cutting-edge information from monetary and financial seminars sponsored by Cal Cities, JPIA, and Southern California Associated Governments, and reliance on 3rd-party independent audits. Public engagement has been improved by public outreach, staff surveys at public events, by way of social media, the city website, through City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, workshops, City News articles and public notices, expanded radius notices, and council’s ‘See Something, Say Something’ program. In the long run, the Grand Terrace City Council is made up of five individuals who do their best to be cohesive, collaborative, and capable of compromise for the public good.