Letters: Measure S

Editor, The Friday Flyer

The truth is Canyon Lake has been short-sheeted since incorporation in 1990. The feasibility study, commissioned by the POA Board of Directors serving at that time, set forth the anticipated positive and negative consequences connected with incorporating as a city.

There were two significant financial considerations that were positive at the time.  One was the entitlement to a portion of the gas tax revenues annually collected by the State. These were brazenly taken away from us by the state.

The second positive consideration was our share of real estate taxes collected by the county. Another short sheet! The city collects a measly .05 percent of the 1 percent total tax collections on our properties. Seem fair?

Consider this: we have all of our physical infrastructure paid for and we maintain all of it without any help from the county. Public services such as fire and police protection are paid by us. We’re being shafted and Measure S is our only current means of defraying the cost.

Do not listen to those who would leave you to believe the Towne Center can be revitalized to generate tax revenue anywhere near that which is needed to balance the city’s budget. And do not be deceived by those who would suggest that we can overcome our city income shortfall by starting our own police and fire departments. This is deception gone nuclear. A joint powers agreement is being worked on. Terminating our incorporation as a city would bring more problems then we have and would bring a legal price tag and shame upon our community no lucid person would wish to endure.

Passage of Measure S is the only coherent means of competently solving our immediate needs to ensure the level of security/protection that Canyon Lake stakeholders want, and insures local control.

Warren H. Kelsey