Council Approves Ballot Language in Favor of Tax Increase

A large crowd attended the Aug. 3 meeting when a ballot measure proposing a 1 percent sales tax increase was approved. Menifee 24/7 photo

The Menifee City Council Wednesday night unanimously approved language for the argument in favor of a November ballot measure seeking voters' approval of a city-wide 1 percent sales tax to fund public safety and vital city services.

The decision to place such a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot was unanimously approved at the City Council's Aug. 3 meeting. Wednesday night's action approved the actual wording of the argument in favor of Measure DD, as recommended by the public safety committee.

Here is the complete wording of the argument that will published in the Voter Information Guide in favor of Ballot Measure DD, as read by city manager Rob Johnson during Wednesday's meeting:

Vote yes on DD. Protect Menifee’s public safety and vital community services from Sacramento money grabs. Sacramento politicians have taken $21 million from Menifee over the past five years. Stop the money grab.

Yes on DD keeps our taxpayers’ dollars local to address our needs. We live in Menifee because it offers a great quality of life. Yes on DD maintains local services we expect and deserve, requiring every dime to be used for our benefit. None of Measure DD funding can be taken by Sacramento politicians.

Yes on DD keeps funds local. Yes on DD maintains 911 emergency response. Yes on DD maintains local streets and roads and repairs local interchanges and overpasses. Yes on DD improves traffic flow. Yes on DD maintains local police, fire and emergency services.

Here’s what Measure DD won’t do. Measure DD is not a tax on your home or property. Measure DD is not applied to food purchased as groceries or prescription medications.

With crime from surrounding communities increasing, we must maintain police protection and the number of officers on our streets. Yes on DD will keep Menifee safe by restoring the number of police officers we need to be full force. Yes on DD also addresses our street infrastructure and traffic flow. If you’re tired of spending hours stuck in traffic, vote yes on DD to expand interchanges and build overpasses to reduce traffic congestion and make our streets and roads safer for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Yes on DD keeps Menifee a desirable place to live, work and visit by ensuring our public safety, roads, parks and other vital services are maintained. Yes on DD includes tough fiscal accountability with independent financial audits and public review, ensuring funds are spent responsibly.

Join a unanimous City Council and Menifee residents in voting yes on DD.

City officials acknowledge that Menifee is far short of the police services needed from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, with which it contracts. Currently, 64 percent of the city's general fund goes to public safety, yet city officials say more funding is needed to maintain and add to the police force.

As the ballot measure language and argument show, however, the sales tax increase would also fund fire and other emergency services as well as maintenance of local streets, freeway interchanges and overpasses.

A staff presentation at the Aug. 3 meeting included a report by Adam Sonenshein of Fairbank, Maslin, Maulin, Metz and Associates, which was contracted by the city to conduct a survey of registered voters regarding the proposed sales tax increase. Approximately 700 registered voters were contacted in a phone survey. According to Sonenshein's report, 72 percent of those polled supported a measure funding "vital city services."

In a survey of nearly 500 readers conducted by Menifee 24/7, the response was nearly the opposite. Of those responding, 62 percent said they would not be in favor of such a sales tax increase.