Dear Don Schwartz and City Council Members,
From reviewing documents, it appears that tax money generated by property and sales tax has been diverted to subsidizing salaries at the Community Cultural Center and Senior Center per an ordinance that was introduced in 2003. https://www.cityofsebastopol.gov/resource_library/sebastopol-living-wage-ordinance/ Given Sebastopol’s extreme infrastructure needs, precious City tax money should not be subsidizing the salaries of nonprofits that serve the whole of West County. When I pay my property tax, I expect it to be applied toward critical and core services that directly impact the safety of the community such as Police, Fire, Roads, Water and Sewer.
How much money has been diverted from infrastructure to nonprofit salaries since 2003?
I ask that the City stop using property and sales tax funding generated for basic services to subsidize the salaries of West County nonprofits.
Is it even legal to use taxpayer money to pay for salaries at nonprofits that are not for the exclusive use of citizens? It seems like a fiduciary overreach. At the very least, it breeds a culture of nepotism and cronyism where organizations would become indebted to Council Members because the Council Members were subsidizing their payrolls.
As we are in a fiscal emergency and have over $40,000,000 in infrastructure needs, this is not a sustainable position for the City nor the Citizens which rely on the core services and functions of the City. It also does not seem like best practice to maintain an arm’s length distance between the nonprofits, elected officials and City staff.
Thank you,
Kate Haug