Two views on Measure A: No

On May 5, The Press Democrat published an editorial titled “Yes on A: County roads need help.” In this opinion, the paper lamented the threshold for voter approval of taxes in California and the wisdom and common sense for these thresholds: A general-purpose sales tax requires a majority of voter approval versus a special purpose tax, which requires a super-majority or two-thirds voter approval.

These thresholds and the definition of these taxes along with the requirements for property owner related fees such as for water, sewer and garbage rates and for assessments are memorialized in the California constitution as Articles 13 C and D. These articles are the result of the voters approval of Propostion 218 in 1996, a constitutional initiative spearhead by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Article 13 C was later modified in 2010 with the voter approval of Proposition 27. The recent court decision concerning the tiered-water rates in San Juan Capistrano is based on these articles and the decision is applicable to all water agencies despite what has been declared by some in the recent newspaper articles. It is imperative that the law be followed. If you don’t like what the law requires, then have it changed legally.

Measure A is a special sales tax dressed up as a general sales tax by the Board of Supervisors, which is attempting to do a flanking maneuver on the California constitution. Measure A is written as a general tax and is to be used for general government purposes. The advisory note, which was to accompany Measure A on the ballot, was wisely omitted. It would have proven that the board intended to use Measure A revenue for a special purpose. It is my opinion that the supervisors have been disingenuous with the voters. Now that the members of the board have special interest group support for this measure, they omit the advisory note under a ruse - because of voter confusion?

The Howard-Jarvis Taxpayers Association has been apprised of this matter, and it has been requested to support a legal challenge to Measure A should it pass and should the board contract with the local transportation authority for the disbursement of the revenue from this measure, or should road mileage be a factor in the disbursement. Sonoma County has bad roads but the board needs to rectify the budget structural deficiency caused by the allocation for pensions before they raise the sales tax. Vote no on Measure A. The end does not justify the means.

Rick Kennedy, a Santa Rosa resident, is a retired district manager, engineer and clerk for the Ukiah Valley Sanitation District.