Landing in Contra Costa County property owners' mailboxes this week are ballots to authorize a potential parcel tax to fund water pollution control improvements.
The 2012 Community Clean Water Initiative is designed to improve water quality and prevent pollutants, bacteria and trash from entering the streams and flowing into the Delta and the Bay. The goal is for the county comply with state and federal water purity standards.
Under the auspices of California Proposition 218 of 1996, the county will gather the results of property owners' votes, said Tom Dalziel, program manager for the Contra Costa Clean Water Program; if a simple majority is achieved, the county Board of Supervisors can levy the parcel tax in June.
For six years, the county set aside $1.5 million to fund an engineering study, funding analysis, public opinion surveys, public information campaign and election, Dalziel said.
Based on surveys of what communities could bear in a parcel tax, the proposed level is $19 per parcel in the west county and unincorporated areas; $22 per parcel in the central county and $12 per parcel in the east county. Dalziel said that revenue level will not finance the program sufficiently to bring county water up to state and federal standards — the cities and other municipalities will need to supplement revenue from general funds and other sources.
I'm actually undecided at this point -- I think clean water is important and I can appreciate that the money has to come from somewhere. I'm just not sure this one should come from the homeowners. Shouldn't the businesses who are contributing to the pollution bear some of the responsibility for cleaning up after themselves?
This is a mis-use of Prop 218 which was designed for small benefit assessment districts like new sidewalks in a small neighborhood. They call it a fee to get around the 2/3 rds requirement for a new tax. Only property owners will pay and 50% +1 vote will pass it. It's not being handled by the county election office. Some fly-by-night consulting firm is handling it. They also are running the campaign so there is a conflict of interest. Steve Weir, the County election officer, says he would not handle such an election. He says the principle of fair and honest elections is one person one vote and confidentiality. He says this ballot and vote has neither. The county is illegally using hundreds of thousands of dollars for consultants, mailing, flyers, etc." I hope property owners wake up and stand against this travesty.