In response to Mayor Tina Hansen’s recent letter to the editor [“Righting the Right,” Aug. 3, 2012], Signal Hill Community First wants to make it clear that our community organization believes that voters should have the right to know and vote to approve any new taxes, bond issues, assessments and property-related fees.
Know and Vote requires that these revenue-raising proposals be put on a ballot and clearly explained.
Right now, the City of Signal Hill has the ability to tax its residents without clearly explaining why the City wants new revenue and how the money will be used.
Two years ago, the Council approved a tax increase on our property for sewers. Sure, there was a public hearing on the tax, a staff report and legal notices put in the paper on the proposed new tax. But, just how many taxpayers knew about the public hearing, read and understood the staff report or the legal notices in the paper? All of these types of documents are written in “bureaucratese” and legal jargon. It is a difficult job to take time off of our jobs and family obligations to keep on top of these obscure government procedures.
And, it is not fair to enter into agreements pledging taxpayers’ money without a guarantee that Signal Hill residents are well informed and that the City fully accepts its obligation to convince us, the voters, that new taxes, bond issues, assessments and property-related fees are justified. The taxpayer should have the final say.
Community First is not against new taxes or property-related fees; we are for transparency and voter approval.
For the record, Know and Vote is consistent with state law, and, state law always trumps local law. State law exempts cities from getting voter approval of fees, like those for landscape and lighting fees paid by residents in California Crown or the fees charged for library cards, bicycle fees or restaurant inspections, and, so does Know and Vote.
On behalf of Signal Hill Community First,
Maria Harris
Signal Hill
