Although the city scored a major victory when voters approved Measure T with a 66 percent approval, it’s important to remember that this is just the beginning and citizens must keep pressure on Hollister officials to ensure this significant tax increase is used as efficiently and appropriately as possible.
Without a doubt, Hollister needs this revenue boost to recover from a financial disaster prompted by both past mistakes and uncontrollable economic factors. The result showed that the active citizenry as a whole understands this problem is about more than forgiveness and fostering a better work environment for city employees.
Above all else, it’s about the tangible impact this budget collapse has had – and would continue to have – on every Hollister resident’s life. It’s about setting a firm foundation and improving the quality of life for current and future citizens and businesses. It’s about being able to rely, with the utmost confidence, on public safety staffing that has been depleted beyond reason by continual budget cuts.
By simply approving the measure, the goal is not necessarily achieved and, merely, is now within reach.
And that’s where a continued activism would stand to greatly benefit the process as the Hollister City Council – under the watch of a citizens oversight committee – now decides how precisely to spend this money.
Despite some criticism from opponents about the sales tax measure and a perceived lack of planning for the additional funds’ allocation, measure advocates – including council members and city staff – have played by the book to this point.
Stating explicitly where the money would go would have been illegal without requiring a much more difficult – yet, as we now know, somewhat realistic – two-thirds super majority approval by voters.
So the next step is forming this citizens oversight committee – deciding how many people should take part, deciding how often it meets, deciding who will represent the rest of Hollister in sitting on this crucial panel.
We encourage city officials to move promptly in planning the oversight committee’s makeup and objectives – and doing it with complete transparency – and diligently promoting to the rest of the city how crucial a role any interested resident can play by taking part.
Beyond the oversight committee, we encourage every citizen with an interest in Hollister’s future to play some role in this process because it’s your city and your money – $3.5 million to $4 million annually – that the city is set to spend for the next five years.
What Measure T did, essentially, is allowed Hollister to move from the starting line in what amounts to a marathon set to last until April when officials get access to the extra dollars. With each additional voice involved in watching over these crucial decisions, there’s a higher likelihood that every extra cent raised from the initiative ends up in the right place.
