Public Comment Regarding Measure C2026
Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff,
My name is Mike Ashmore, and I am submitting this comment in support of Measure C2026.
I understand why many people are hesitant to support another tax. I share some of that hesitation. None of us are looking for more things to pay for.
For me, though, the larger question is this: What kind of city do we want to live in? Parks, libraries, recreation programs, senior programs, youth programs, and facilities like the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center are part of the answer. We may not personally use every service our tax dollars support, but we all benefit from living in a community where children have safe and positive places to go, seniors have opportunities to remain active and connected, families have access to parks and recreation, and residents have places to gather and be physically active.
The Paul Nelson Aquatic Center is a good example. It is not simply a pool for competitive swimmers. It provides swim lessons, recreation, lap swimming, fitness opportunities, and other community programming. Measure C specifically identifies the aquatic center, parks and recreation, youth programs, the library, and streets among the community services it could support.
I have also seen firsthand how often our community has had to fight simply to maintain access to the pool. I do not believe continually allowing public facilities to deteriorate, reducing access, and then fighting over whether they can remain open is a sustainable way to build a strong community.
At some point, we have to decide which community assets are worth maintaining. I believe these are.
My support, however, comes with a very important expectation.
If voters are being asked to pay more because they are being told these dollars will help support the aquatic center, parks and recreation, youth and senior programs, the library, streets, and other community services, then the City needs to honor that commitment.
Measure C includes public reporting, an annual spending plan, independent citizen oversight, and a requirement that the funds remain local. I strongly encourage the Council to make that accountability meaningful, transparent, and easy for residents to follow.
People should be able to see where the money went and what it accomplished.
I support Measure C because I believe a strong community requires investment in the places and programs that bring people together, provide opportunities for our young people, support our seniors, and improve the quality of life for everyone who lives here.
And if the community agrees to make that investment, I believe the City has an obligation to use those funds for the purposes residents were told they would support.
Thank you for considering my comments.
Mike Ashmore
Santa Maria, California (93455 - City resident)