Opinion

Opinion: San Benito High School Board meetings should be videotaped and posted online.

After a total expense of more than $287,000 from the Landfill-Solid Waste Fund and months of serious, but ultimately unnecessary, angst among the neighbors, San Benito County’s much ballyhooed Resource Recovery Park exists in name only.

I want to respond to Mark Dickson’s commentary, “Doubts on a tax idea”. The proposed half-cent sales tax recommended by the Council of San Benito County Governments for voter consideration in June is the result of a comprehensive study by staff to address existing roads that need improvement. The COG Board is comprised of: Chair Tony Boch; Vice Chair Ignacio Velazquez; and Directors Anthony Botelho, Victor Gomez and Jerry Muenzer representing the cities of Hollister, San Juan Bautista and San Benito County. The COG board unanimously supports the proposed countywide half-cent sales tax to improve and maintain existing roads in the county.

In 2004, the voters of the Gavilan Joint Community College District passed Measure E, providing funds to renovate and expand the Gilroy campus and purchase land for future campuses at the northern and southern ends of the district. The work on the main campus was completed just this year. Land was purchased in both Coyote Valley and San Benito County for future campuses, and habitat mitigation is almost complete at both sites. Phase one of the Coyote Valley development is now under construction.

In the Gavilan College Measure E performance audit for the year ending June 30, one question has not been adequately answered: How did the auditors conclude that Gavilan College was in compliance with Prop. 39 and that they expended the bond funds only for the authorized and specific projects contained in the full text ballot proposition that was presented to the voters March 2, 2004?

Recently I was sent a flyer asking how I felt about giving away more money because someone figured out I just have too much. Of course it was in the form of a tax. This tax would be used to fix potholes, improve safety, make Highway 25 better, make other roads better, move money around, pay for unfunded liabilities, who knows.

As the Super Bowl 50 has been played and the NFL season comes to a close with the Denver Broncos being crowned the champions of the league, the fans beginning to look forward to the next season’s major roster changes and news of what players have decided to retire.

Hollister can’t take on long-term debt with short-term money.

As we begin 2016, I’d like to share with everyone an update on what has been going on in the City of Hollister and what the plans are for the future. I believe that this year, 2016, is the year that we can finally move to the next phase of improving our existing infrastructure, quality of life projects and growing our economic picture that will benefit our community for years to come.