Just twenty-seven days from today, you will have an opportunity to choose your State Governor. Foster City, and every other city in the State of California will be impacted by your choice. I don?t intend to suggest how you should vote, nor will I share with you how I intend to vote on October 7th. But before I vote I will have thoroughly studied the Sample Voter Pamphlet that should now be in your hands for this election.
The rest of the United States may or may not consider this Recall Election a big joke, or even an embarrassment. We who reside here must take this election very seriously.
California is resilient and rich in resources and people. How well California survives the Recall Election on October 7th will depend upon how well informed California citizens are on that date. Please go to your polling places with a full understanding of the issues. Your Sample Voter Pamphlet is the foundation upon which to build your decision.
Choosing a Governor of California is very important to Foster City, and all of the cities in California, because the State Government has consistently taken our local property taxes to pay for State Government spending. The Governor is responsible for preparing a balanced budget ? hopefully a budget that allows cities to retain sufficient local revenue to meet local needs. Local control of local revenue is essential to your safety and well being. Anyone seeking the Governors office must clearly address this issue in their ballot statement, and be consistent in presenting a roadmap of how he or she can balance a State Budget without taking local property taxes.
Your City Council approved the Foster City Budget for 2003/04. We prepared the budget on time. The State failed to meet their budget deadline, but now has passed a 2003/04 State Budget that will take well over $800,000 of our local revenue from the Foster City Budget. We will cover that loss with our reserves this year. My concern is that if the State continues to take from Foster City, and all other cities, eventually we will be forced to make deep cuts in the services that are essential to your safety and well being.
The outcome of the Recall Election on October 7th will determine if we can continue with these essential services.
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