Ventura County Real Estate Journal

I have trust issues.  My therapist and I have been working on them and I thought I had made progress.  But, as I sat listening to a presentation on the City of Oxnard’s proposed half-percent sales tax increase, I had a relapse.  It happened last Thursday when seven top Oxnard officials came to the Ventura County Association of REALTORS to educate us on the proposed tax increase.  They were: Edward Sotelo, Oxnard City Manager; Daren Burnham, Assistant City Manager; Grace Hoffman, Deputy City Manager; Martin Erickson, Government Affairs; Haywood Milligan, Oxnard Fire Chief; and John Cromback, Police Chief. 

The speakers gave a Powerpoint presentation with each taking turns presenting the slides.  We learned that the city had commissioned a survey last October that showed that 70% of Oxnard residents would support a half-percent sales tax increase if it went to improve and enhance vital city services.  We were told that Oxnard has had a A+ rating from Standard & Poors since 2003 and the city is very sound financial position and the survey indicated that 57% of Oxnard residents feel the city is well managed financially.  It was pointed out that the sales tax in Santa Barbara was 7.75% and in Los Angeles it was 8.25%.

If the tax increase is passed it would fund: 

• Police-More Officers on Street.  Neighborhood Patrols.  Enhanced anti-gang activity.  School resource officers.
• Fire-Additional personnel.  Disaster preparedness.
• Recreation-More youth enrichment and intervention activities, mentorship programs, City Corps gang prevention.  Pre-school to you programs
• Parks-New parks, sport parks, Campus Park, College Park, Ormond Beach
• Library-Enhanced services for youth. Online tutoring services. New Colonia Branch Library
• Street and Alley Repair-Increased Streets Budget.  Quicker repairs to streets, alleys and potholes. 

There’s something there for everyone.  The city estimates the tax would raise $10,000,000 a year to fund these programs.  Since this is a general tax, the measure would only have to get a simple majority.

I’ll grant you that these valuable services would enhance the quality of life in Oxnard.  So, you may ask, why the trust issues?  First of all, that 70% of Oxnard residents could possibly be in favor of a tax increase is hard to believe.  Our presenters made the point that polling only 400 people may seem like a small number but you can get an accurate reading from a sample that size.  I agree.  Problem is, we don’t know the wording of the questions.  Polls are conducted all the time with a specific outcome in mind and the questions are formulated to lead the peson being polled  to give a favorable response. 

Second issue: Oxnard City Manager, Edward Sotelo said many times that they were here only to provide information and were not taking a position in favor of the tax increase nor were they trying to convince us to support it.  Really???!!!  Seven of the highest ranking officials take time out their busy schedule to just give us a little information.  (I see you’re starting to have some trust issues, too.)  After the meeting I did a little research and learned that the Oxnard City Council had previously approved $150,000 information campaign to educate the citizens of Oxnard on the benefits of the tax increase.  That’s a lot of money to educate the public for a ballot measure you’re not taking a position on.  If the tax is approved, it will take $30 million dollars of taxable sales in Oxnard before that sum is recovered.  

Third issue: The City is calling it a half-cent increase.  It is not.  It is a half-percent increase.  It may seem like I’m arguing semantics but that language wasn’t chosen by accident.

Fourth issue: What the money will be spent on is not clear.  The presentation covered a lot of ground but it’s unlikely that the money will be allocated evenly across the board.  Once this tax is approved, the council can use most of the money for just one of those issues.  You might vote for the measure because you’d like to see more police and instead most of the money goes towards a sports park. 

Last issue:  How long is this tax for?  When asked, Sotelo says the ordinance hasn’t been written yet and the City is still trying to “find out” what the citizens of Oxnard would prefer.

It may seem like I’m arguing against the tax increase.  Not necessarily.  I just don’t think it’s being presented honestly.  This is a carefully orchestrated campaign that is being presented as if the City were only responding to Oxnard resident’s desires to pay more taxes.  Most people can see right though that.  Regardless of the possible merits of this tax increase I don’t believe it will be successful.  The economy is in bad shape, gas prices are soaring and folks are tightening their belts.  I’ll be surprised if 51% of Oxnard voters support a tax increase much less the 70% the City is counting on.