Connect the dots

The City of Vallejo is planning to place a measure on the ballot this November to increase the sales tax in Vallejo by .0875%. Their hope is to raise $18 million, ostensibly for road repair.

If this money was only for road repair, right here is where I would end my opinion. I would tell you that I support it. The mayor recently stated that if we want nice things we have to pay for them. I agree with him. Here is the thing — just like Measure G, this money is not just for road repair. The wording of the resolution puts the money into the General Fund to be used ... however.

One reason given for this language is a General Fund tax measure only needs 50.1% of the votes to pass. A specific tax spending measure needs 60%plus. So the argument is that the Measure will have a better chance of passing if it is a General Fund Tax.

Well, I do not trust them — even with oversight — to spend these monies just on road repair. They will just get mixed together with everything else and I predict we will still have potholes.

Help me connect the dots here:

• The city needs more money but turned down a $9 million cash offer for North Mare Island and took $3 million instead.

• Last year, sales tax income locally grew by $4millionplus due to overall economic growth coming out of the pandemic.

• As a business person, if I need to raise revenue I have the choice of doing more business, depending on capacity, or raising prices. And we have more capacity in Vallejo. Our local businesses could easily do more business. By raising the sales and use tax they make it more expensive to live in Vallejo.

• Every year the city council states that Economic Development is a primary goal. It seems to me if the staff seriously focused on this council goal that we might not need to raise the tax rate.

It is up to you to decide. I agree with the mayor — if we want nice things we have to pay for them. For me, it all comes down to a matter of trust. I think that staff should focus first on the Council's Economic Development Goal rather than trying to raise prices. I know our local businesses would appreciate it.

— Tommy Judt/Vallejo