City Council defends continued need for Measure DD funds
Editor's note: This news article originally appeared in the April 1 edition of the Menifee 24/7 newspaper. For more reporting like this ...
http://www.menifee247.com/2018/04/city-council-defends-continued-need-for-measure-dd-funds.html
While steadfast in their unanimous support of tax Measure DD as a necessary means of funding for City of Menifee public safety and infrastructure, City Council members on March 21 addressed options for fighting back against a repeal measure expected to be on the November ballot.
After considerable discussion, the decision was to take no action at this time. The rationale: Trust that the voters who approved the 1 percent sales tax increase by a considerable margin (68 percent voted yes) in 2016 would agree that it’s too early to consider removing it. So rather than proposing a ballot measure to attach a sunset clause to Measure DD, council members expressed an urgent need to retain the measure as is.
Measure DD was presented to voters as a way to raise additional funds to add police and fire personnel and improve roads in the city. Although a full year of revenue has not yet been received, estimates are that Measure DD will generate about $8 million this fiscal year. Of that amount, about $3.2 million has been spent on police and fire budget increases and an additional $2.2 million on road improvements.
Much of the additional tax revenue budgeted for four additional patrol officers won’t be used until later this year, when Sheriff’s Academy graduates become available. Meanwhile, millions more have been dedicated to the Scott Road interchange project, scheduled to begin this summer.
The argument against continuing the Measure DD tax is the subject of a repeal measure being proposed by former Menifee Mayor Scott Mann and resident John Smelser. Their primary argument is that the restoration to Menifee of more than $7 million in annual vehicle license fees from the state makes Measure DD no longer necessary.
Council members couldn’t disagree more, citing the uncertain future of VLF fee revenues to California cities and the rising costs associated with Riverside County’s fastest growing city. Some even suggested that the repeal measure is more of a personal issue than anything else for Mann, who lost to Neil Winter in the 2016 mayoral election shortly after he was fined $60,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission for misappropriation of campaign funds.
“This repeal has been brought to us by a minority among the voters,” council member Matt Liesemeyer said about Mann’s petition. “The people said no to Scott Mann once before. I'm confident they'll do it again."
Council member John Denver seemed to agree with Liesemeyer’s statement that the public would recognize the continued need for Measure DD funds and would see Mann’s motives as questionable.
“You guys are putting up with people out there -- old mayors -- telling us what to do,” Denver said. “People are trying to tell us what to do for reasons that are not above board. We can't let that happen. There already are groups telling us they will help fight this."
And during the public comments portion of the meeting, former City Council member Darcy Kuenzi was just as outspoken.
"I don't understand why you're even considering these options,” Kuenzi said. “You should trust the voters of this city. The former mayor has disgraced this city. Why would any of you think the city should negotiate with this person?"
The possible repeal of the state gas tax was mentioned as another loss of revenue. A petition designed to repeal the gas tax seems destined to qualify as a ballot measure.
The only real discussion of a ballot measure designed to oppose the recall measure was brought up by Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Sobek and council member Greg August. Sobek referred to previous discussion about re-examining the Measure DD issue in five years, but said she did not favor placing a sunset clause measure on the November ballot. August said he favored some sort of ballot measure for November, possibly including a sunset clause on Measure DD, to fight the recall measure.
A motion by Liesemeyer to table the item passed by a 3-1 margin, with August voting no and Sobek abstaining. When contacted by Menifee 24/7 for a response, Mann attempted to use the vote in his favor in an emailed statement:
“I believe that the current city council is missing the mark here,” Mann wrote in his emailed statement. “Actually, I do compliment Mayor Pro Tempore Sobek and council member August on their attempt to try to put this back to the voters for a ‘checks and balances’ vote on local government. Although they fell short, it was clear that they grasped the need to be transparent with the taxpayers. At least they exercised enough leadership to not make it about past local administration and tried to make it about the issue itself.
“However, the beleaguered taxpayers of this state understand what government has done to them – particularly in Menifee. There will be several measures on the fall ballot that are a referendum against the gluttonous pig known as ‘Government’. You can't feed it enough, and similar to dealing with an addict, the only solution is intervention – in this case, by the taxpayer.
“The Menifee City Council on Aug. 3, 2016 voted to place a ballot measure before the voters to increase sales tax in this city by 1 percent, predicated on the loss of Motor Vehicle License Fees from 2011 to 2017 – six years’ worth – that the city relied upon to incorporate. The Incorporation Committee led by county employees, presumably on their off time, shouted from the mountain tops that ‘your taxes won’t be increased when we incorporate.’ Less than 10 years after incorporation, the current city council wants to feed that gluttonous pig known as ‘Government’. Once government starts feeding at the trough, it’s hard to cut the pork – it’s hard to trim the fat.
“Repealing Measure DD is the right thing to do for the right reasons and it is time that voters intervene and deal with the spending addiction that exists at all levels of government. And that includes the Menifee City Council.”
In a November 2017 Menifee 24/7 article on this issue, Mann responded angrily to the question of whether his petition drive is part of a ploy to divert critics' attention away from his previous controversies and portray him as a champion for the people heading into a possible campaign for the District 4 City Council seat being vacated by Denver, who is termed out.
Meanwhile, Melching was asked during the March 21 council meeting how he would describe the possible loss of Measure DD funds to the City, given the urgent need for increased police personnel and road improvements.
“I don’t want to overdramatize this, but it would be like an amputation,” he said. “Some of the things you’ve put in place this year would be gone in a moment.”
