Posted by Martin Anaya on February 1, 2024 at 6:29pm
On January 20th, 2024, at the Sharp Park Golf Course, the Pacifica Democrats Club hosted an election forum for California Assembly District 23 and the Pacifica Measure G.
Present were candidate Lydia Kou and incumbent Marc Berman. Also present was candidate Gus Mattammal of the Mid Coast Council. Gus however, did not participate in the forum as he is a Republican, and Democrat club rules provide that only Democrats can participate in the forum.
The forum was taped for broadcast and will premiere on PCT channel 26 and 27 Comcast on February 16h at 7 pm.
the public is invited to tune in on Comcast or at the PCT website by clicking the live stream button.
For questions or other election information, call PCT at 650.355.8000.
The video above will provide some factual information about Pacifica’s Budget, Measure Y, and the upcoming Municipal Election on Nov 8.
This information, and more, is available on the City’s website at cityofpacifica.org
First, some budget information:
•Pacifica has a $47 Million dollar General Fund annual budget that funds most of the city’s day-to-day general services, such as Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks Beaches & Recreation, Planning, and Administration
•86% of this funding is spent on the personnel (65%) or contract services (21%) that provide these day-to-day general services.
•70% of this funding comes from taxes such as property tax, sales tax, hotel tax, utility tax, business license tax, cannabis tax and more
•But as this chart of revenues and expenditures shows, the rising cost of providing general services is currently projected to outpace revenues by approximately $2.7 million dollars per year into the future
•This is known as a structural budget deficit, and presents a financial challenge in sustaining the City’s current level of essential services into the future.
In response to the budget challenges just summarized, and following community input on City priorities, in June the City Council unanimously approved placing Measure Y on the November 8, 2022 ballot to address community priorities such as public safety, jobs and business attraction, and protecting local resources, parks, and beaches, and maintaining fiscal stability by generating locally controlled funding that will stay in Pacifica and cannot be taken by the State.
Here’s the official Measure Y Ballot Question.
In summary, Measure Y, if passed by the voters, would establish a ½ cent sales tax, called a transactions and use tax, and would generate approximately $2.6 million annually for 9 years, for general government use to maintain vital services such as:
Police, fire, medical 911 emergency response, keeping pollution and trash off beaches, attracting and retaining jobs and businesses, street paving, storm drain maintenance to prevent flooding, and preventing coastal erosion. Measure Y funding would be subject to regular financial audits and independent citizens’ oversight.
Posted by Martin Anaya on September 29, 2022 at 3:30pm
On August 20th the Pacifica Democrats and Pacific Coast TV sponsored the Pacifica City Council Candidate's forum.
The Pacifica Democrats has partnered with PCT locally to host candidate forums and educate local residents.
Every election season, organizations across the county hold hundreds of candidate debates and forums to help voters learn about the candidates on their ballot. Watching a candidate forumis one of the best ways to prepare for casting your ballot. As a core feature of U.S. politics, candidate debates help citizens learn about candidates and issues.
Please check out the above candidate forum and don't forget to cast your ballot on November 8th.
Stay tuned to this site for more local forums and debates.
