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Letters To The Editor 10-02-19
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Not In Support Of Tax

 

Dear Editor,

Again the Oakdale City Council will ask the voters to extend the 8½ percent sale tax for 11 years; that’s ridiculous.

They claim this will prevent closures, this council should have been out of debt by now.

This city council has a run away problem with money, they don’t know how to control their spending, but they sure know how to ask the voters for more.

I have attended all city council meetings, the spending is out of control. It’s so unbelievable.

This council doesn’t even debate issues, in public meetings. Some don’t even say a word, they pass legislation because the manager says so.

Don’t believe all the rhetoric that is out there. They need to control spending.

On the ballot: Should the city clerk still be an elected position?

I say yes. This prevents nepotism in our government.

Alice Garcia

(Editor’s note: The sale tax extension mentioned in the above letter is incorrectly referred to as 8½ percent – it is an extension of an existing half-cent sales tax, previously Measure Y and on the ballot in November as Measure H.)

 

 

The Mayor’s Perspective

 

Dear Editor,

It is an honor to serve our city as the Mayor. I truly believe that we live in the greatest community around. This November we are asking the citizens to help maintain the city we love by voting YES on Measure H.

Measure H is an extension of our current Measure Y. It is a half-cent sales tax. Over the last eight years the city of Oakdale has used 98 percent of this sales tax for public safety (police, fire and street lighting). The senior center has received 1 percent and the remaining 1 percent has been used for street sweeping. The City Oversight Committee (made up of Oakdale citizens) has reviewed and approved all of the revenue and expenditures from this measure. They have verified that every penny has been accounted for that has been received from this tax.

Measure Y has allowed the city to keep our police department at full staff and our fire department staffed at three personnel on shift 24/7. It has also permitted us to keep the street lights on throughout the city for additional public safety.

This is the only tax that the citizens of Oakdale have control of. The state or federal government does not have any say on how this tax is used.

I am writing this letter to ask the citizens of Oakdale to join me and vote YES on Measure H. Thank you.

J.R. McCarty, Mayor

City of Oakdale