Measure T passes with flying colors
”
Now we’ve got to deliver the goods.
”
That was the reaction from one Hollister city employee Tuesday
night, when it became clear that local voters had issued a stunning
vote of trust in the city that not so long ago violated that
trust.
Measure T passes with flying colors
“Now we’ve got to deliver the goods.”
“That was the reaction from one Hollister city employee Tuesday night, when it became clear that local voters had issued a stunning vote of trust in the city that not so long ago violated that trust.
“Without Measure T, a 1 percent sales tax hike over the next five years, the city was headed toward bankruptcy. With it, the promise of enhanced public safety service, cleaner parks and better public works maintenance could be arriving soon.
“And it better.
“Hollister reached its financial crisis as the result of gross mismanagement.
“The city made a decision to finance day-to-day operations in part with impact fees, which are statutorily mandated to pay for capital expenditures only.
“Then a city council that never met an out-of-town developer it did not like stood watch as Hollister became one of the fastest growing cities in California, even without provision for service.
“The result today is a critical lack of services, parks or adequate public safety protection.
“What an embarrassment.
“It was in 2002 that the city’s overtaxed waste water treatment system failed, spilling 15 million gallons of sewage into the San Benito River and, ultimately, Monterey Bay. That failure came only weeks after city staff reported that all was well and that Hollister’s profligate growth could continue apace.
“The spill changed everything.
“The state Water Quality Control Board stepped in, and shut down growth in a moratorium that still hamstrings our economy.
“But voters, in a historically generous gesture, voted two-to-one to tax themselves to offer a brighter future for Hollister.
“Tuesday’s election was more than a vote of confidence. It was an expression of optimism for the city’s future.
“The current leadership of Hollister is centered around a city council that returns vision to the local landscape. The pandering for growth at any cost is gone, and in its stead the city has adopted a general plan that calls for smart growth, mixed use downtown and a healthy balance of jobs and housing.
“Tuesday makes it clear: the voters have noticed a change for the better.
” A year ago, an initiative very similar to Measure T failed.
“Today Hollister voters have expressed a newfound confidence that the promises for a restoration of city services will be delivered.
“Let’s see it happen.
