CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council has decided that it will seek comments from the public before deciding how it will proceed with any sales tax measure for the November ballot.
The council intends to entertain a roundtable-type meeting in an effort to achieve optimum community participation.
Ideally, the meeting is to take place in a location other than council chambers, likely at the Clearlake Senior/Community Center.
The informal, roundtable format will provide varied means for participating in the discussion, in addition to speaking publicly.
Proposal of a sales tax measure to fund road improvements has failed to pass several times in the city's past. In recent efforts, which saw narrow defeat, funding for code enforcement and animal control were added to the proposal.
The council has continued discussion of the initiative since the failure of Measure H – a 1-percent special sales tax for road improvements (75 percent) and code enforcement/animal control (25 percent) – in November 2013, conceding efforts to generate revenue for city needs must go on.
Throughout its discussions, the council has heard several suggestions including lowering the tax and removing the road component, which has caused debate with regard to public versus private roads and which will benefit from a successful measure.
Mike Vandiver, who campaigned for the passage of the last ballot initiative, said something needs to go through. He said code enforcement is the priority and splitting the tax would allow time to then develop a better plan for the roads.
“Go after code enforcement. Get that accomplished and then work on the roads,” he said.
Council members Joyce Overton and Joey Luiz had offered similar assessments during most recent meetings.
“My research shows (constituents) want code enforcement,” Overton said Thursday. “Not just code enforcement, they want a task force. They want to be safe.”
Luiz said he agrees that code enforcement is the priority, saying that the lack of it impacts the entire city.
He said there have been two failed attempts during his tenure to pass a 75/25 split sales tax.
“We've had two runs at it. It's not going forward. We've got to change something up,” he said. “I think our priority, at this point, should be code enforcement.”
Among other suggestions was addition of a sunset clause, which consensus of the council favored.
“People don't want to have their money taken forever,” city resident Estella Creel said. “If you put in a sunset clause, you might get it passed.”
The council will be seeking input with regard to these suggestions and other concerns related to proposal of a ballot measure during its roundtable meeting, which staff was directed to schedule.
Deadline for inclusion on the November ballot is Aug. 8.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
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