November 7, 2012 - Nevada City residents passed Measure L, agreeing to raise the sales taxes 3/8 of a percent for five years, raising about $390,000 annually for police, fire and public works.
"I couldn't be happier," texted Nevada City Mayor Duane Strawser. "We presented an option to the public that is a very minimal, targeted tax increase to allow us to continue providing the level of public services our residents expect, continue providing the improved police presence that had brought our citizens' feeling of safety to a new level, and had helped us clean up the downtown corridor issues for the first time in years to a level our merchants expect and appreciate.
"(It) makes our locals and visitors alike feel comfortable and safe when shopping, dining, enjoying our arts, music, theater venues and major events such as the Nevada City Bicycle Classic, (a portion of the) Amgen (bicycle race) or Victorian Christmas," Strawser texted.
If Proposition 30 had failed, it would have cost Nevada City "up to $100,000 in state funding for our police Department alone, and for a city our size, with such a small department, it would (have been) devastating, so it would have been irresponsible if we hadn't been prepared for such a possibility by asking our citizens to support (Measure) L as a way to prevent serious further cuts to our public services," Strawser added. "We've already trimmed all the fat we can, have frozen raises, furloughed employees, closed City Hall on Fridays, minimized or eliminated benefits packages, not refilled vacant positions, etc., yet our residents continue to request increased service quality. Something's got to give at some point, and L is a fair and viable solution in the short term."
"We asked our residents for what we needed, no more, no less, and every penny will be accounted for, with members from the public offered a chance to give oversight (on a) committee," Strawser continued. "Some of the tax-related measures on the ballot were top-heavy and gave the appearance that those cities wanted to go on 'spending sprees' with the money they raised, with little or no transparency, and they failed miserably."
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