PD Editorial: Measure O will help Santa Rosa recover from the fire

A year ago, with fires still burning in and around Santa Rosa, a steady stream of people arrived at evacuation centers with food and clothes, cash and compassion for those who lost their homes - and those who didn't yet know if their homes would survive.

The last of the evacuation centers closed in mid-November, but the generosity hasn't ceased.

Santa Rosa residents are being asked yet again to dig into their pockets, this time to help the city balance its books after the firestorm.

Measure O on the Nov 6 ballot is a six-year, quarter-cent sales tax increase.

The tax would generate an estimated $9 million a year for municipal services, including public safety, repairing damaged infrastructure and processing rebuilding plans for fire victims.

“The intent is to use this to help us get through a really tough time,” Mayor Chris Coursey said.

FEMA is expected to reimburse the city for firefighting expenses, and the state covered the local share of debris removal costs. But the city is on the hook for infrastructure repairs - roads, sidewalks, streetlights, parks, a fire station and water lines - that could approach $50 million.

Santa Rosa, like any fiscally responsible public agency, maintains a rainy day fund for unanticipated emergencies.

But last year's fires drained the city's reserves, leaving a projected budget deficit of $14.9 million for the ongoing fiscal year.

The unanticipated costs and rapid drawdown of reserves after the fires came at a time when the city already was confronted with projected budget deficits for the foreseeable future.

So even if voters approve Measure O, spending cuts will be required.

City Council members reviewed $7.1 million in cuts at this week's meeting, including the elimination of jobs that are presently unfilled.

But without an infusion from Measure O, city officials say layoffs cannot be avoided, and deeper cuts in public services will follow.

Critics of Measure O note that it is a “general” tax measure - meaning the revenue would go into the city's general fund to be appropriated by the City Council.

A “special” tax would have earmarked the revenue for a specific program or purpose.

But Santa Rosa's shortfall is in its $120 million general fund, the portion of the city budget that covers most day-to-day operations and services - police, fire, parks, planning, public works and so forth. And a general tax would allow the council to assess the city's needs, allocate funding and, if necessary, make adjustments. A special tax would tie the council's hands.

Moreover, a 1986 ballot initiative sponsored by anti-tax groups, requires a two-thirds majority to approve a special tax - a difficult threshold to attain under any circumstance.

A general tax requires a simple majority. The lower threshold comes with a test of the public's confidence in the City Council and city staff. Given their performance during and after the fires, from organizing evacuations to facilitating reconstruction while maintain regular services, we think they deserve the public's trust.

The stiffest price for the fires is being borne by those who lost loved ones or lost homes.

But some costs fall to the city. Roads and bridges and water lines must be repaired. Fountaingrove needs a new fire station. Many residents want better early-warning systems and evacuation routes. Those will come at a price.

Santa Rosa residents helped their neighbors after the fires. Measure O asks residents, tourists and anyone who shops in Santa Rosa to help the city recover. Vote yes.

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