Extension of sales tax for open space up to voters
Amid little public opposition, Sonoma County supervisors put measure on Nov. 7 ballot
By Bleys W. Rose
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Hearing overwhelming praise and scant complaint, Sonoma Countysupervisors decided Tuesday that extension of the quarter-cent sales tax funding open space preservation should go to voters in November."I expected to hear more of the negative comments today," said Supervisor Valerie Brown. "I think what we heard is that for $25 a year this has been a great buy," she said, referring to the average per-person cost.
The tax, administered by the county Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, raises about $17 million annually. During its first 15 years, the district has spent more than $200 million on purchases or easements on 142 properties totaling almost 70,000 acres.
Some opponents have complained that the district has spent too much for some properties, has bought others that are inaccessible and has been too eager to grab some that were under no development threat.
But during a two-hour public hearing attended by about 70 people, dozens of community leaders spoke in support of the tax, saying it has saved greenbelts from development, has preserved ecologically important wildlife areas, has jump-started urban recreation projects and has given dairymen the means to continue farming.
"It has been a victim of its own success," said Jim Harberson, a former county supervisor who led the 1990 campaign. "What people are saying is that they want more, and this tax provides them with a way to do that."
Only two people objected to the tax extension: Bill Pisenti, a perennial critic of government spending and head of the Redwood Empire Taxpayer's Committee, and Bill Bisso, who waged a decade-long legal fight with the county over the cleanup of his debris-littered ranch near Schellville.
Bisso complained that the district's high-priced acquisitions were driving farmers out of business. Pisenti said the district's purchases were akin to private property confiscation as outlined in the Communist manifesto.
"This all sounds good, but having 8-10 people walking on Taylor Mountain paid for by taxpayers is nonsense," Pisenti said.
Others disagreed.
Santa Rosa City Councilman Steve Rabinowitsch said the tax made possible urban recreation projects, such as the Prince Memorial Greenway path to Sebastopol, the Windsor Town Green and the Cloverdale River Park.
"This is essential for urban areas," he said.
Campaign co-chairman Michael Senneff acknowledged critics might score points during an election campaign by arguing that restrictive zoning and general plan regulations would be more effective.
"When asking what benefits people are getting for their quarter-cent sales tax, it is critical for them to know that only this way protects the land in perpetuity," he said.
Although the tax doesn't expire until 2011, supporters say assurance of continued revenue is necessary when attractive land comes on the market.
District General Manager Andrea Mackenzie said a 20-year extension is being sought now because "we have to keep pace with changing opportunities and threats."
The tax extension will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, likely alongside a new quarter-cent tax funding a Cloverdale-to-Larkspur rail line, which directors of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit board are expected to approve today. Thirteen state bond measures are headed for the same ballot.
Currently, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol have the highest sales tax rates in Sonoma County at 8 percent. The highest tax rate in the state, 8.75 percent, is charged in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.http://www.pressdemocrat.com
Copyright © 2006 The Press Democrat