Ventura City Government Gives Citizens Few Reasons To Trust Them

“The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power” —John Stuart Mill

Keeping Track Of Lost Opportunities, Revenues and Unnecessary Expenses

With the passing of sales tax increases in Oxnard and Port Hueneme, it will come as no surprise to Venturans that our city Council will take this as a signal that it is time to attempt to impose a new sales tax increase again in Ventura. If citizens read the Ventura County Star article of November 9, they should catch the reason why Ventura’s tax failed while others passed.

Lack of Trust Killed P6

The operative word is TRUST. The City of Ventura has been determined and relentless in their effort of to unilaterally impose new taxes, in the form of fees, regardless of the wishes of the citizens of this community. It seems clear that we are not in charge of our own community and are to be punished for having the audacity of not approving a sales tax increase in 2006.

Financial Failures Killing Trust In City Government

Here are some examples of how this City Council has been attempting to increase revenues at the expense of Venturans:

Increased taxes or increased fees:
911 Phone tax	$2.2 million per year, estimated
$10 Fee to process a Business License	$40,000 per year, estimated
$99 Hillside weed abatement inspection fee	$250,000 per year, repealed
$140 Toxic Waste disposal fee on restaurants	$200,000 per year, estimated
$100+ fee on all restaurants for beach clean-up	$150,000 per year, estimated
¼% Sales tax increase (Measure P6)	$6 million per year, failed
User fee increases in 2004-2006	$500,000 per year, estimated
Safe Beaches fees $133 per business	$266,000 per year, estimated
SUB-TOTAL OF FEES/ATTEMPTED FEES	$8,206,000
Loss of new businesses or loss of existing businesses:
Ventura County Star moves to Camarillo	$0, estimated
Harbor Development — 10 years in planning	$0, estimated
Seaward and Harbor Development	$0, estimated
Failure to complete Olivas Park Road to Auto Center	$4.0 million, estimated
Harbor and Figueroa — Embassy Suite Hotel	$2.0 million, estimated
SUB-TOTAL LOST REVENUE	$ 9,000,000
Inaction, indecision or bad decisions by city gov’t.
Waste Water Discharge penalty imposed by State Water Control Board	$733,000
Wal-Mart lease – annual loss of sales taxes	$600,000 per year, estimated
State Water Contract – annual cost	$895,000 per year
Helen Yunker legal defense costs	$500,000, estimated
Legal expense in Ventura v. Tolman & Wiker, low income housing dispute	$800,000, estimated
Staff costs to track/ resolve 911 refunds issues	$65,000, estimated
33% increase in retirement pensions for Firefighters	$1.2 million per year, estimated
Cemetery Park Beautification Plan	$4.0 million, estimated
Viewscape Consultant	$110,000
Use of out of town architect(s) for review	$1.0 million, estimated
Victoria Avenue narrowing project	$322,332
Solar compactor Trash can	$ 4,500
Failed Computer System 2005-2006	$1.7 million, estimated
New Computer Program	$800,000, estimated
Annual Living Wage Implementation for public contracts	$171,000, estimated
City personnel cost to pursue P6, the failed sales tax increase initiative	$ 40,000*
New City Attorney salary increase	$ 85,000 per year, estimated
Buyout of old City Attorney Contract	$150,000, estimated
SUB-TOTAL OF OTHER EXPENDITURES	$13,175,832, estimated
GRAND TOTAL	$30,381,832, estimated

The Cost of Trust Measured In Dollars

Missed opportunity and bad judgment contribute to citizens’ lack of trust in city government.

When you total this all up, there is over $30 million in lost revenue, new taxes, new fees or expenditures that combined would have eased the City budget greatly from wanting to tax the citizens further.

One third of this total is in lost businesses for our community directly attributable to the City Council’s failure to direct city staff to actively process new economic developments and opportunities in an expeditious and cost effective manner.

Then there is the collateral impact of such fiscal mismanagement. Consider, if you will, the impact of projects which failed and/or were not built because of inaction by the City Council and the staff, which resulted in loss of property taxes which were needed to support the Ventura Unified School District. Property taxes would have been collected from the Harbor Development marina, Seaward and Harbor Development, Olivas Park Road-Auto Center development, the Harbor and Figueroa- Embassy Suite Hotel property, the old Ventura County Star site and a fully leased K-Mart property. Forty percent (40%) of those taxes would have been spent on the children of this community.

EDITORS’ COMMENTS

Citizens are now being actively polled to see if they will agree to a ½-cent sales tax. We predict the reversal of the 911-tax blunder, and that our politicos will then spin this as a “carrot” to persuade a yes vote from the voters on a new sales tax. See this for what it really is, a threat of fewer services unless we tax ourselves further. Please review the way our City Council has conducted business in the past, and ask yourself one question- “Do we TRUST them to continue to make more decisions on how they manage our community and spend our money in the future?”