Measure B offers accountability
Join me in supporting Measure B, the 30-year, half-cent sales tax that will reduce traffic congestion in Morgan Hill by:
• Completing and modernizing Hale Avenue/Santa Teresa Boulevard to provide a thoroughfare for the west side of Morgan Hill.
• Increasing Caltrain capacity and service with more user-friendly schedules.
• Providing more than $800,000 annually for road maintenance in Morgan Hill.
• Providing direct access to Saint Louise Regional Hospital with a Buena Vista interchange.
• Providing bicycle and pedestrian improvements near schools.
While Measure B provides the traffic improvements Morgan Hill needs, it also provides the accountability improvements our voters deserve:
• The two-thirds vote threshold (67 percent majority required for passage) assures that the Measure B projects are legally binding.
• Changing a single word or sentence in Measure B requires a 75 percent (9 of 12 members) vote of the VTA Board.
• Measure B requires Annual Independent Audits by a Citizens Oversight Committee to report on how every dime is spent.
Please vote YES on Measure B.
Steve Tate
Mayor of Morgan Hill
I have been given an opportunity to state my opinion on Measure B by Valley Transportation Authority for a half-cent sales tax on the purchases of goods and services in Santa Clara County. In return, VTA promises to distribute some of this money back to Santa Clara County and its cities for road repair and gridlock mitigation.
I am conflicted as to whether I support this measure. I am not going to ask you to vote yes or no, but instead tell you what I feel are the pros and cons as I see them so that you can perhaps make an informed choice.
First, Morgan Hill could use the money earmarked for improvements to our crumbling roads. South County needs the additional Caltrain service to and from Gilroy. Monies are supposed to be set aside for the west-side bypass from Hale to Santa Teresa. Extra money is always good if the people in charge of that money have a proven record of fiscal responsibility and fulfill their promises. For all of that I would say by all means, please consider voting for Measure B.
However, we are being overtaxed. It seems so easy for government agencies like VTA to come around with their hand out. We face a backlog of street repairs and severe gridlock on 101. We have multiple taxes and fees from Santa Clara Valley Water District, property taxes, school bonds and state bonds, gas tax, water/sewer charges and garbage pickup.
At this point, you the taxpayer are paying 8.75 percent sales tax in Morgan Hill. At some point our local government is probably going to need some type of tax to help with the backlog of infrastructure repairs. An additional .5 percent by VTA will bring us to 9.25 percent total sales tax.
From this standpoint, I am inclined to vote No on Measure B. VTA does not seem to ever get control of the situation and give the relief that the people of Morgan Hill need. VTA has broken many such promises in the past, and I am having trust issues with VTA and our money.
Would I trust VTA with $6 billion at this point? The answer is no I would not.
So I hope this helps you make the best decision for you. Can you afford the tax increase? Will VTA fulfill their promise to use the money correctly? Do you trust VTA?
These are your decisions. Please vote with your best interest and that of your community.
Kirk R. Bertolet
Candidate for Mayor of Morgan Hill
