I urge everyone to vote “yes” on Measure P at the Nov. 3 election. If it passes, this measure will increase the local sales tax rate in King City by a half cent to 1.5 cents per dollar spent, which is equal to the rate already in place in almost every other city in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
I know everyone is rightly concerned about the affordability of goods and services, but I would argue we cannot afford Measure P not to pass. Unfortunately, the City suffers from a basic fact it has no control over. Under the State’s current financial structure, small rural communities simply do not have a sufficient tax base to fund the basic minimal level of services needed, yet they are required to meet the same State requirements and face the same issues as large urban cities. This measure would provide much-needed revenue that would be under local control.
As the former city manager, I am very familiar with the City’s finances. The City has made a lot of progress in accessing grants and implementing other financial strategies to pay off its debt and construct improvements. However, without additional ongoing revenue, I fear King City will gradually regress to its former problems of financial instability, major gang activity and deferred maintenance. The community has already experienced what that is like, and I don’t believe any of us want to return to that condition.
King City desperately needs funding to address four major needs. The first is to implement new gang prevention programs and hire additional police officers to prevent violent crime. Our officers have been asked to work large amounts of overtime over the past few years, so the staff dedicated to protecting us need our support. Measure P is an investment in helping to ensure our children, families and community are safe.
Second, we are blessed to have such a dedicated volunteer fire department. They consistently respond to emergencies with more staff than full-time departments and save the City millions of dollars. However, they need resources for apparatus, equipment and ongoing training to support their efforts. Ensuring the continued success of our King City Volunteer Fire Department is a critical investment.
Third, additional funds are needed to repair the City’s decaying streets. Reconstructing our streets is expensive and an important investment because it increases safety, reduces liability and decreases long-term maintenance costs.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, the City needs additional resources to help ensure long-term financial stability. Revenue is necessary to maintain existing staffing levels, address rising costs and fund unanticipated expenditures.
Following my retirement, our family decided to remain residents of King City because we love this community and believe it has a bright future. However, that future depends upon providing the minimal level of resources needed to maintain basic city government services. Please support a positive future for our community by voting “yes” on Measure P.
Steve Adams
King City
