Dear City Staff and Council,
I was a bit horrified hearing people talking about a “new City complex” at the goals setting meeting when the roads are crumbling as we watch and the City looks like it will be insolvent in 5-10 years unless there is a drastic economic uptick. Given the $20,000,000 needed for road pavement and the dire financial outlook, why in the world would anyone ever suggest spending time or energy on a new City complex?
The Council and City Staff really only have one priority, which is to raise enough money so that the City is solvent over the next decade. Unless that one goal is accomplished, the is no use in talking about other goals.
Given the short time line toward insolvency, Council should be asking how much revenue needs to increase each year to avoid bankruptcy.
If you can’t meet this goal by year 5, Council and Staff need to consider dissolution of the City.
Currently, the City of Sebastopol provides many services for District 5, which are not reimbursed by the County. These services include – providing almost ALL the affordable (not taxed) housing in District 5, providing ALL the permanent supportive housing in District 5, providing the Senior Center, which had over 26,000 visits (almost 4x the population of Sebastopol), providing major education centers including a high school, two K-8, one elementary school and one middle school which provide education for the surrounding area, including Santa Rosa, Ives pool, which is used by many County residents, the Community Cultural Center and the library. People come into Sebastopol to use services but don’t pay for roads, sidewalks, Public Works, etc.
The EIFD will not work unless the City is reimbursed for the existing services they currently provide to the County.
Why even enter into an EIFD if the City could simply dis-incorporate and remove all the expenses of running a City?
What benefits to citizens does the City administration provide? The City has been managed by completely irresponsible and destructive Councils, which have led to an on-going deficit, huge infrastructure problems, high water bills, significant water and sewer infrastructure need. The City apparatus has been no discernable benefit to citizens.
If the merger with Goldridge moves forward, the Sheriff’s Department could take over the police work and the Water and Sewer could be managed more efficiently by a water district.
Unless the Council can fully commit to raising revenue, there is no point in moving forward with Sebastopol as an incorporated City. The taxes that people pay could go directly to the County and perhaps residents would have better roads and sidewalks. It seems clear a water district could manage the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds more efficiently than the City can. It is outrageous that the City charges ratepayers $300,000 per year to send out 6 bills.
Council has one priority: revenue. Council has a short time frame to accomplish this single goal.
Best,
Kate Haug