The next Clovis election takes place one week from today.
Voters will be deciding on who should be elected to the two council seats. We recommend the incumbents, Lynne Ashbeck and Nathan Magsig:
"Ashbeck and Magsig are part of a City Council that has satisfied residents to the point that a recent survey had 89% of them rating the council favorably."
The other measure on the ballot is Measure A, which would raise the city's sales tax by a full penny to boost revenues for public safety, parks, road maintenance, recreation and senior services. We recommend voting "No" on this measure. A lower tax with a fixed duration might have been more palatable right now, but the measure that's on the ballot just can't be justified under current circumstances.
If you live or do business in Clovis, how do you think that election will go? And do you agree with our recommendations?
Photo by John Walker/The Fresno Bee: The Clovis Chamber of Commerce, right, and La Posada Mexican Restaurant, left, are on opposite sides of Measure A issue.
I think at least Clovis is doing something to try to maintain their city and the safety of it. If a sales tax increase will help them do that then I think they should. Residents of Clovis are proud of their city and want to keep it that way. It will not deter me from shopping there.
Jackie:
We certainly welcome your business in Clovis but if you are A Clovis resident I would encourage you to note no on this measure. Unlike the original measure, it does not specify how the money will be spent nor does it have a sunset clause. This tax increase can literally go forever. We need a sensible measure that is specific and has a sunset clause, not this poor imitation. VOTE NOTE ON A.
I am not a resident of Clovis so I can't vote.
The truth is that a Yes vote on Measure A will be detrimental to an already depressed economy. A No vote on the other hand will give Clovis a much better chance to take advantage of the economic stimulus passed by the Federal Government, because it will stay economically competitive with its neighbors like fresno and other surrounding communities.
Even the Sacramento gang is smart enough to make the tax hikes temporary but Clovis wants the extra money forever. It already is one of the most expensive cities for business and this makes it even worse.
Government seems to forget that without business, there's no money for all their programs.
Vote NO on Measure A.
Paul Dictos (perpetual candidate for office?) advocated NO on Clovis Measure A to increase the City sales tax. So does Fran B. After having served nearly 50 years as a Clovis City Council watchdog, I am glad that I no longer have that headache. But it does not change the fact that a goodly portion of the Clovis populace is dipping into the public trough of tax money for their high house payments. So the City Council must have counted on this renewable resource permanently. But is it really that permanently renewable?
Yes, Isabell. There is no sunset. It "drops" to 3/4 cents after 10 years and continues on. The council can rescind the tax at any time but that's like saying I'd win a swimsuit competition - ain't going to happen. Once they fill that gap of new money with pay raises and other goodies, they won't be able or willing to give it up.
I live in Clovis and would have been HAPPY to pay a little more for a few years to get us over this bad spell. But the city manager and council were greedy and put no expiration date on this tax, save for the .25 decrease in 10 years - 10 years! If this measure doesn't pass, they will have to only look in the mirror to see the reason why. It's been a shame that the employees have had to shoulder most of the burden of the budget shortfalls. My experience with them has been overwhelmingly positive.
"My experience with them has been overwhelmingly positive." ( SnailMail). If the "them" refers to the city staff I can only concur. When I started the ball rolling in opposition to the City Council's proposal to privatize the Public Utilities, I could not have done it without their covert help of finding useful material on the garden furniture ever so often. And the best thank you I have ever received when one of the guys said "Mrs. Lawson, with us you are living legend."
Upon joining this blog about half of a year ago, I learned that 40.000 folk read the daily posts. Not many of them can be from Clovis, because there was so little opinion on the sales tax issue. I would have expected a lot of comments on the election.
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