Letter: Funds would be generated from dispensary

Editor, The Friday Flyer

I am Rich Moline and providing the City Council approves the ordinance to allow a Cannabis Dispensary I will be an applicant.

I have been a resident of Canyon Lake for 28 years and raised my children in this community. My son Richard and I will be full-time operators and I am financing the business myself.

I have been self-employed for 37 years, owning a trucking company and cold storage facilities within excess of 100 employees and a software company which I sold in 2016.

We have leased the location at 31580 Railroad Canyon Road which is between the Canyon Lake Smoke Shop and PZA two doors down from the Sports Stop.

We know our police and fire costs will continue to be a tremendous burden and unless we change our sales tax revenue base, your taxes will have to increase to offset those costs in the future.

Budgeted for 2021 sales tax revenues are only projected to be $300,000, with COVID-19 the real number may be much less. Our proforma shows the City of Canyon Lake will receive $80,000+ in new tax dollars, a 27% increase directly from our new venture year one.

We are also confident the increased traffic will positively impact other businesses such as the Canyon Lake Smoke Shop, Sports Stop, PZA and many others, further increasing the sales tax revenues for Canyon Lake.

In my 28 years, virtually every city council member running for office has made the commitment for economic development in the center. However, little has changed other than the names on buildings as one after another entrepreneur tried and failed to launch their new business.

Rich Moline

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