Although Measure T would not directly affect local schools,
Hollister School District administrators and the Board of Trustees
have come out in support of the sales tax measure.
Hollister – Although Measure T would not directly affect local schools, Hollister School District administrators and the Board of Trustees have come out in support of the sales tax measure.
Trustees voted unanimously Monday in favor of a resolution supporting the 1 percent sales tax increase. Trustees said that although no money from the tax would go to the district, they felt it was important for the board to voice its support. The measure would directly affect the kids who make up the student population, making it an important issue for the schools, several trustees said.
“We are all community-minded people and our business is education,” Trustee Margie Barrios said. “Our students, if they don’t get the services they need in our city, they will be affected in the schools. Everybody will be affected by (the measure), but particularly our children.”
Money raised through the sales tax would go to the city’s general fund. It’s illegal to commit the funds to a specific use, but councilmen Brad Pike, Doug Emerson and others have said public safety will be a top priority.
Safety and quality of life were the two most commonly cited reasons for trustees’ support. Board President Alice Flores said there were “public safety factors that directly affect the school district.”
“From the school district, we promote the health and safety and the quality of life of children in the school district,” Flores said.
The district had traditionally partnered with the city and would continue to do so to ensure the safety of the community, Flores said.
Despite resounding support from the board, Flores said the resolution to support Measure T primarily was symbolic.
“We are supporting the community and the philosophy behind the measure,” Flores said. “As a school board, there’s not a lot you can do. You can pass resolutions saying what you’re for or against, but that’s where it ends.”
Still, Flores and other board members said they hoped their support would influence voters about the measure’s impact on youths.
Hollister School District Superintendent Ron Crates said he also was interested in showing his support for the measure – an issue, he said, he “feels really strongly about.”
“I really do see it as a quality of life issue for the community,” Crates said. “Quality of life indicators, they deal with recreation, safety – things that really matter for youth. These are all the items that are on Measure T. These are the things that matter to our community.”
Trustee Ron Hatchett, who serves on the campaign supporting Measure T, said student safety was one of the largest concerns for him. He said more money should be going to the police department and toward keeping the recreation department maintained.
“A better ‘rec’ department will have a direct effect on keeping our kids out of trouble and keeping them out of gangs,” he said.
