On the March 3 ballot, voters in Morgan Hill will decide whether to pass Measure A. I personally encourage you to research this issue and vote YES ON MEASURE A.
If this measure passes, it will allow for Marriott and Hilton hotels to be built at Madrone Village off Cochrane Road (behind Erik’s DeliCafé, Peet’s Coffee and Chipotle). I do not need a market study to tell me we need additional (and in my opinion better) hotel options locally. I understand that the opposition comes in large part from owners of existing hotels who I suspect fear competition from new hotels.
In 2015, Morgan Hill’s “Economic Blueprint” was made with community input and highlights the need for new lodging in Morgan Hill to generate much needed revenue for the City of Morgan Hill through the hotel tax, which is paid by visitors, not residents. If Measure A passes, the city will obtain revenue from hotel developers and hotel occupants in an amount estimated by the city to be $800,000 per year, which would substantially benefit taxpayers in Morgan Hill. New revenue generation is important for the city to continue to provide quality police, parks, roads and other public services that make Morgan Hill a safe and family-friendly community.
YES ON MEASURE A has broad support from the community. Measure A is endorsed by the Morgan Hill Times, Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine, Morgan Hill City Council Members Yvonne Martinez-Beltran, Larry Carr and John McKay; Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman; Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce President John Horner and COO Brittney Sherman; Morgan Hill Police Officers Association President John Kuhlen; and numerous other Morgan Hill business owners and community stakeholders.
You can learn more about Measure A on the City’s website: https://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/1950/Measure-A
I encourage you to do the research and support Measure A – VOTE YES ON MEASURE A.
Matt Wendt
Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner
