Thank you, Ms. Magid, for your comments in last week’s letter to the editor [“More to ‘Know?'” , Nov. 16]. Your interest in the The Know & Vote initiative is exactly what Signal Hill Community First is all about; in fact, it’s in our mission statement— “Inspire and empower residents to engage in City affairs.”
In these tough economic times, local governments all over the state are searching for ways to increase revenues. We only have to look at our property tax bill to see the fact of this trend.
In the case of Signal Hill, the property fee for District 29 best illustrates the trend. It is a fee collected by a special district exclusively for Signal Hill. The City Council established that district. The Council is the district’s board of directors and votes on all fees and fee increases.
Residents may not remember when District 29 was set up. The paperwork was very easy to miss. It came as a small postcard in the mail. If you opposed the property fee, you had to mail a card back saying so.
If you didn’t mind the fee, you didn’t have to do anything. If you didn’t return the card, it automatically meant a “yes” vote. Then, to reject the fee, a full 50 percent of 100 percent of the property affected had to return that little card saying “no.”
The Taxpayers’ Right to Know and Vote initiative is based on the principles that: every vote should be cast, every vote should be counted, every voter should be fully informed, and every ballot should include full disclosure.
The implication of Ms. Joey Magid’s claim made in her Nov. 16th letter to the editor is that this principle leads to “!Signal Hill’s most important services (being held) hostage to the minority.”
Of course, Community First respectfully disagrees. To get certainty in local revenue, as Ms. Magid wants, does not depend on keeping the voter out of the picture. It depends on keeping the voter fully informed and city officials working to get those revenue measures in line with what Signal Hill residents, voters and taxpayers think is worth the cost to them.
Some cities and counties get this and were successful at the polls with their voters. Know and Vote gets this too.
Lori Woods
Signal Hill Community First
