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Vote No on PP
As a member of the Pleasanton City Council nine years ago, I was part of a 5-0 vote to establish an IRS Section 115 pension trust fund to address the city’s rising pension liability which, based on actuarial projections at the time, would likely peak in eight to 10 years. Karla Brown was also part of the unanimous vote.
Fast forward to today and voters are being told by city staff and the council majority there’s a financial crisis and a need to increase the sales tax. An increase currently is premature for the following reasons:
1. The 115 fund currently valued at $51 million can provide $3 million to $5 million annually to help cover pension expenses.
2. Additionally, the retiree medical trust fund with $56 million can provide $1.5 million annually to meet these expenses.
3. Contract out business license services to reduce expenses and increase revenue, netting about $800,000 annually.
4. Gain full cost recovery from recreation programs and use of facilities, contributing about $1 million annually.
5. Charge a credit card convenience fee to recover an estimated $500,000 annually.
City staff’s 10-year projection used to justify the sales tax increase is too conservative. Tax increases on existing property are below historical rates and new development is not assumed. The non-majority councilmember, Jack Balch, has argued for a new 10-year projection using current actuarial projections and the trust funds and structural changes mentioned above. Hopefully, the city issues their 2023-24 fiscal year-end statements before the election.       Â
— Arne Olson, former Pleasanton city councilmember (2014-17)
Yes to a minimal sales tax increase
I do understand not wanting increased taxes. I do not want them either! I see the added tax as the only realistic way to keep our valued services, like police and fire protection. I view the added tax as insurance; when you need it, you’re really happy it is there.
We are in a situation where cuts need to be made, revenue increased, or a combination of the two. I favor a combination which includes increased sales tax.
It is easiest to push this issue down the road; however this would be a cop-out. The fact is that tough choices need to be made and the sooner the better.
As a resident for over 45 years, I only want to make sure the services I have come to expect in our great community are able to be kept and continued.
As a local business owner that competes with price each day, I am fully aware that every penny counts. These are pennies well spent!
— Matt Richert
School traffic in Pleasanton
I have lived in the same house in Pleasanton for 55 years, raised four boys that graduated from Foothill High School, and very much remember that I could travel through Pleasanton any time of the day without traffic; that was when children were bussed to school!
I live over by Foothill High School and have dealt with the start and end time of school traffic; however, I never gave any thought to the traffic at start and end times of all of the schools in Pleasanton until I had to go through town this morning. I was shocked at how many cars were on the road. It took me twice as long as it would normally take to get through town.
To me, it makes sense to bring school bussing back. I’m sure if the parents of school-age children were surveyed, they would be willing to pay a monthly fee for bussing instead of the daily chore of fighting traffic. The cost of gas, and the wear and tear on vehicles, let alone the daily stress, would be well worth the fee for bussing.
We all seem to be worried about pollution; this would be another way to help our environment.
— Linda Moniz
Manufactured budget crisis
I attended the City Council budget workshop May 2024 to understand the budget issues. This meeting left me with concerns for our city manager. The director presented a slide — replicated in the Pleasanton Progress newsletter — “What we’ve done so far” with three items.
One, combining of two organizations (saved $60,000), requirement of maximum contributions to retirement benefits (saved $5 million) and reduced retiree health benefits (saved $2 million).
As the director was questioned about the two latter savings, we found these changes were made in 2013 and do not impact our budget. The gall of the city manager to try to take credit for policy changes made 10 years prior could easily be construed as deceptive to Pleasanton citizens.
The city manager continues to share bad budget assumptions to portray a manufactured fiscal crisis. Vote No on PP. Make city leaders do their jobs.
— Laura Melchionne
Raiding reserves for pet projects
City reserve funds are not supposed to be slush funds to spend on “pet projects”.
On June 21, 2022, in spite of city staff warnings of an economic downturn, Councilmember Valerie Arkin made a motion to raid the reserves and grab $1 million to partially fund Pleasanton’s third skate park, a discretionary pet project with an enormous multimillion-dollar pricetag nearly the same as the cost to build the new two-story fire station on Santa Rita-West Las Positas.
Rejecting Kathy Narum’s/Jack Balch’s substitute motion to leave the reserves alone, Arkin, Brown and Testa voted to redirect the reserve funds in a 3-2 vote.
Giving a “trio” or simple majority of 3-2 the power to allocate reserve funds to items like mega-skate parks and Century House renovations — both not at all related to public health and safety — while ignoring Balch, Narum and the public continuously raising concerns about overspending, cannot continue. See Tim Hunt’s column “How muddled are the Pleasanton council’s priorities” for more details.
Before one more penny of reserves is redirected to pet projects like mega-skate parks, the Pleasanton Municipal Code must be urgently changed. A supermajority of 4/5 of the City Council or even a 5/0 of the City Council must be required, either through an ordinance adopted by the City Council or one imposed on the City Council by a citizen’s initiative, to dip into reserves.
Reserves are there for a specific purpose, and their misuse as piggy banks for politicians’ pet projects must immediately stop.
— Anne Fox
Animal welfare legislation
Most state legislators decide in October-November upon which bills to carry in the coming session. Here are four in need of an author:
1. Amend state rodeo law, Penal Code 596.7, so as to require onsite veterinarians at all rodeos and charreadas — the “on call” option isn’t working, and animals are suffering needlessly. Racetracks, horse shows, endurance rides and the PRCA all require onsite vets — so should all rodeos.
2. Ban tie-down calf roping, allowing “breakaway” roping only. Some vets claim the calves are injured every time they are roped/thrown/tied — mere babies, and terrified.
3. Ban the charreada’s brutal “steer tailing” event (already outlawed in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and Nebraska). The steers’ tails are routinely stripped to the bone (“degloved”), even torn off.
4. Ban the rodeo’s non-sanctioned events, as Alameda County has done: “wild cow milking”, the children’s “mutton busting” event and all animal “scrambles” — cruel and dangerous for all.
Write all legislators c/o The State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Email for all: senator.lastname@senate.ca.gov; assemblymember.lastname@assembly.ca.gov.
— Eric Mills, Action for Animals
Thank you for supporting organ donation community
On behalf of the Donor Network West Foundation, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Bay Area community, businesses and hospital partners for their participation in our 14th annual Donor Network West Foundation Run/Walk.
More than 700 participants, supported by 22 businesses and organizations, helped raise $150,000 and counting. These funds will enhance services for transplant recipients, organ donor families and living donors, fostering healing and hope.
This event is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a celebration of resilience, community and the life-saving impact of organ donation.
There are more than 10,000 people in Donor Network West’s service area, across Northern California and Northern Nevada, waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Events like this bring hope to those in need; bolstering programs to help transplant recipients, organ donor families and living donors heal.
Learn more about organ donation and register as an organ donor at donornetworkwest.org.
— Janice Whaley, president and CEO, Donor Network West
— William “Bubba” Paris, executive director, Donor Network West Foundation
Stealing campaign signs is offensive and wrong. But, just as offensive and wrong is when one campaign ascribes that churlish behavior, clearly performed by an individual jerk, to the other campaign as if it had been officially sanctioned and planned. Criticize the individuals who have acted wrongfully, but don’t try to use it as an attack against political opponents.