Guest Opinion Guest Opinion (October 26, 2005)

Portola Valley torn by tax, Town Center
Tax attacks mixing apples, oranges

Editor:

Recent mailings against Measure H are mixing apples with oranges. Whether or not we ever have a new Town Center has nothing to do with Measure H.

When Proposition 13 was approved, the town lost all but 4 percent of its funding from the property tax to the state. Town residents then voted to adopt a utility tax, which was the only way to raise money for the town's general fund that pays for fields, trails, open space, roads, and police services. If we do not continue this utility tax we will have to cut back drastically on all these services.

So please, take the Town Center fight elsewhere, but let's continue to keep our town's finances fiscally sound.

Vote Yes on Measure H.

Marilyn Walter

Coyote Hill, Portola Valley

Confused by aging and rainy days

Editor:

Let me see if I understand the Town Council's letter in last week's Almanac regarding the use of utility tax proceeds.

We are told that the town could not meet its operating budget without the tax, but with the tax the town was able to place $4 million into reserves over 40 years. That $4 million is available for building the Town Center.

Yet we are assured that there is no connection between the utility tax and the construction of the Town Center. Apparently money paid as a utility tax "ages" until it becomes a "reserve for a rainy day," at which point it can be used to construct the Town Center. How quickly does this money age? At the end of the fiscal year? When the check clears?

The council's letter states: "If revenues from the tax exceed operating needs, the Town Council will happily reduce the tax rate." Why did that never happen while you were saving for a rainy day? Having spent the money ($4 million) on the Town Center, are you suddenly going to stop saving for rainy days?

You are correct that "There is a great deal of misinformation circulating in Portola Valley about the renewal of the Utility User Tax (Measure H) and the Town Center plan." There is but one certainty - utility bills will rise sharply this winter and the spinning will continue until the election.

Bruce Campbell

Santa Maria Avenue, Portola Valley

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