Recent actions and recommendations
by the Vista Chamber:
Chamber opposes Propositions
91, 92, 93 in Feb. 5 election
January, 2008
The Vista Chamber
Board of Directors recommends a "no"
vote on Propositions 91, 92 and 93 in
the Feb. 5 election. The Chamber did
not take a position on the Indian gaming
propositions.
No on Proposition
91: This transportation funding
initiative is no longer needed after
the passage of Proposition 1A in November
2006.
No on Proposition
92: The Community College Governance
Funding Stabilization and Student Fees
Reduction Act would amend the California
Constitution to guarantee community
college funding levels without adding
any accountability structure. The proposed
proposition would inflict an enormous
amount of pressure on California’s
already stressed general fund and possibly
require major cuts from other programs
funded from the same pool of money.
In addition, this measure would result
in prioritizing one higher education
system’s funding priorities over
the needs of two other important systems
-- the University of California and
California State University System.
No on Proposition
93: This measure would change
the total number of years that an individual
can serve in the legislature from 14
years to 12 years. However, the measure
would allow the individual to serve
all 12 years in either legislative house
or a combination of both. Many had hopes
that the Legislature would deliver term
limits reform and a redistricting plan
so that voters would have a chance to
enact complete reform. However, no redistricting
measure appears on the February 2008
ballot along with Proposition 93.
* * *
The last day
to register to vote for this
election is Jan. 22. Voters can obtain
a form to register to vote from most
post offices, city offices and libraries
by calling 1-800-345-VOTE, or online
www.ss.ca.gov.
The Chamber
encourages employers to share information
on the February ballot measures with
their employees. Businesses are within
their rights to do so -- just remember,
NO PAYCHECK STUFFERS, no coercion,
no rewarding or punishing employees
(or threatening to do so) for their
political activities or beliefs. For
more guidelines on political communications
to employees, click
here to see a brochure from the
California Chamber.
City heeds Chamber
advice, eases sewer
rates
January,
2008
After hearing pleas
from residents that their budgets are
already tight, the Vista City Council
has set smaller sewer rate increases
- over the next five years - than had
been proposed. Four Chamber leaders
joined other citizens in urging the
city to keep any increase modest, rather
than the proposed 9 percent per
year for five years.
The morning after the
meeting, Chamber CEO Jim Baumann received
this email from Shadowridge residents
Ed and Pat Lopez: "Thank you, Mr. Baumann,
for your appearance at the meeting last
night. I believe the people that
spoke made a difference. I also believe
that the people of Vista have been generous
with their votes to improve Vista....
I applaud your chamber, you do a great
job."
Full
story from Union-Tribune
Chamber
supports Prop C in June 5 Vista Charter
election
May,
2007
The
Vista Chamber Board of Directors has
unanimously endorsed Proposition C,
which will be on a special election
ballot June 5 and will ask voters whether
or not Vista should become a charter
city. The Chamber agrees with the City
Council that a major motivation for
becoming a charter city is to save millions
of dollars on upcoming civic construction
projects that were approved by voters
in November. Planned projects include
a new city hall, two fire stations,
a sports park and more. If Vista becomes
a charter city, it will not be forced
to pay "prevailing wages"
for those construction projects.
North
County Times story about Prop C
Major
newspapers support it - NC Times
* Union-Tribune
Read
the charter and FAQ's about Prop C on
City website
Vista
raises developer fees; Chamber fears
it will backfire
May,
2007
The
City Council voted to raise traffic
fees for developers for the first time
in 14 years, phasing in the changes
over 12 months beginning in July. The
Chamber and the Building Industry Association
asked the Council to phase in the fees
over three or four years, fearing that
a sudden and dramatic fee increase will
put a damper on development. Chamber
CEO Jim Baumann told the Council that
if development comes to a halt as a
result of the higher fees, the city
could collect less revenues, not more.
If development projects are stopped
or delayed, the city will lose property
taxes, sales taxes and hotel taxes,
Baumann said. Only Councilman Frank
Lopez agreed with the Chamber position,
and the increases were approved on a
4-1 vote, with Mayor Morris Vance and
Council Members Judy Ritter, Steve Gronke
and Bob Campbell voting in favor.
North
County Times story
Chamber
lobbies for area code, against new building
fee
As
the voice of business in Vista,
your Vista Chamber is always on the
lookout for issues that affect local
business:
February,
2007: KEEP AREA CODE 760
- Recently, the Chamber lobbied the
California Public Utilities Commission
to allow North
San Diego
County
to keep its 760 area code. The Chamber
sent a letter and a representative to
a recent PUC hearing in Carlsbad,
arguing that our area should not have
to change its area code to accommodate
growth. Projected growth means all 760
numbers will be used up sometime in
2009. Details
from the North County Times.
March,
2007: DON'T INCREASE BUILDING FEES
- Chamber staff also recently testified
at a Vista City Council meeting against
a proposed fee would add 1% to the cost
of most new buildings, including homes,
commercial and office buildings. The
fee was proposed as one possible funding
mechanism by the Public Arts Commission.
The Chamber noted that it does support
public art, but that a new building
fee was not the right way to finance
it, especially given the city’s
recent sales tax increase. Details
from the North County Times.
