As Hollister council members and other advocates of an extension to the Measure T sales tax gear up for a sequel to the 2007 campaign, Community Vision San Benito is hosting a “listening session” Monday where officials will break down the city’s budget ails.
City leaders and other advocates for the extension to the 1 percent sales tax, enacted in April 2008 with a five-year sunset, have begun behind-the-scenes work on pushing for another five or 10 years of life for the levy. The meeting with Community Vision San Benito – a nonprofit arm of the Community Foundation for San Benito County – is a reflection of what Hollister leaders say is an effort to involve as much community input as possible in the process.
Hollister’s sales tax is 8.25 percent. If voters do not support the extension, anticipated for the November election, the sales-tax rate would drop to the same level as it was before Measure T’s approval in 2007. A “no” vote from the public also would result in almost $3 million in cuts, or 21 percent from the city’s general fund budget of around $14 million.
Back in 2007, Measure T supporters promoted the initiative as a taxpayer investment toward improved services, especially in the police and fire departments. While the city and its supporters have yet to formulate a blueprint for their campaign in 2012 – city officials have said some local businesspeople have started talking informally to provide ideas for the measure – it is clear they will be dealing with a vastly different economic environment.
Hollister officials seem to know they have some challenges ahead.
“It’s got to be somehow vetted out in the community in a way that people really understand,” said Councilman Doug Emerson, who has represented District 4 since late 2004 and will be among three city leaders at the “State of the City Listening Session” at the Veterans Memorial Building at 6 p.m. Monday. “There’s a lot of negativity out there.”
Emerson went on, regarding the economic downfall that occurred with Measure T’s enactment: “We went through something in 2008 nobody’s ever seen before. We’re trying to get the community the facts as they are.
“It’s not smoke and mirrors, and the sky’s not falling.”
For the vision group, the meeting is about informing its members and the community about the city’s financial status. Vision Executive Director Julie Morris pointed out that City Manager Clint Quilter and Emerson (Councilman Robert Scattini also will attend) are expected to give a presentation.
As for the sales-tax extension that is the focus of Hollister’s future budgeting.
“Obviously, they’re hoping to get support for Measure T,” Morris said. “Vision has not taken a position on anything.”
Morris said the session is open to the public. The ideas is to raise awareness and then break down into small groups of eight or 10 people to gain feedback on how the city should fill its budget gap.
One of the ideas floating around in city circles is to pursue a 10-year extension instead of the five years approved by voters in 2007 with 66 percent approval.
Emerson, for one, said he does not lean either way yet regarding five years or 10.
“The 10-year thing has been mentioned,” Emerson said. “I can’t say where I am on that, positive or negative. This five years has gone by so fast, but the climate we’ve had in the last five years has been completely off the charts.”
With the local economy struggling in the recession’s aftermath, city officials such as Emerson have mentioned Hollister is looking at enlisting help from business leaders when it comes to developing a tax extension.
Even with assistance from the business community, at least one councilman is skeptical about a measure passing in November.
“I just don’t think it’s going to pass,” said Councilman Robert Scattini, asserting he has talked to “a lot of people” who are not supporting it.
