Dear Editor,
As voting season enters the final stretch and we begin to receive our ballots in the mail, I’d like to share why I’m supporting Measure X this November. A half-cent sales tax equal to about a dime a day, Measure X provides critical funds to improve our water and flood control infrastructure, boost public safety, maintain city parks and ensure adequate funding for essential city services.
It’s a small investment that will pay huge dividends. For someone who spends $5,000 a year in our city each year, they will only spend an additional $25. This adds up to $3.2 million annually to our city budget — a considerable resource that will help our city provide quality public safety and quality of life services to Martinez citizens.
As noted in the East Bay Times’ endorsement of Measure X, Martinez has long operated on a lean and efficient budget, but as pension obligations and other necessities like replacing aging infrastructure become more pressing every year, this sales tax is a small price to pay to maintain and improve our quality of life.
For those concerned by how the money will be spent, understand that their will be an independent citizens’ oversight committee to review spending, followed by an annual state audit to ensure that all spending is transparent and above board.
Measure X is a small, but necessary, step forward for Martinez. I hope you will join me this November by voting YES on Measure X.
—Phil Raines