Results from our Jan. 12, 2012 online poll about a $52 per year proposed parcel tax to help fund improvements to local parts were split.
About half (49 percent) of those who responded said they would vote for the measure, while 45.1 percent said that they would not vote for a parcel tax. Nearly 6 percent (5.9) were not sure how they would vote.
When asked about the state of Petaluma’s parks, nearly 4 percent thought they were in excellent condition. Nearly 34 percent said they thought Petaluma parks were in good condition and 37.3 percent felt they were in fair condition. Twenty-one percent felt the parks were in poor condition while 3.3 percent had no opinion.
Here are some of the comments by those who responded to the survey:
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“If we won’t pay for our own parks, who will? There’s no magic pot of money out there for our city. This parcel tax idea has been around for at least 15 years, and it’s past time to put it in place.”
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“Sorry, but it’s hard enough to scrape together to pay for my property taxes as it is.”
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“Let’s fix up the roads and streets first!”
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“My property taxes are already at $4,500 a year. I think that is fair enough payment for the right to own my own home. If everybody wants to pay for improvements to our parks, than come up with a way to tax everybody, not just property owners, many of whom are holding on economically for dear life. Which pretty much describes me.”
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“It is clear that our parks and recreation venues get a lot of use because they are in poor shape. $52 per year is a small price to pay for something that adds considerable value to the general health and well being of our community. What’s not to like about playing outside? My family supports this effort 100 percent.”
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“Long overdue.”
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“No more bonds! Stop spending money now, based on future revenue. Just budget for what you actually have in the bank.”
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“My son played soccer in Petaluma for 13 years and I have traveled to many towns and cities whose athletic fields are amazing. I have always felt that Petaluma’s athletic fields are inadequate in number and in poor repair. I am technically in the county and not in the city of Petaluma so I would not pay the tax anyways. I support the efforts to fund the city’s parks however.”
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“This city needs a tax base to pay for this. The current and past city councils don’t seem to understand this. The people of Petaluma need places to shop. There is no way I want to pay more property tax for what the city should be paying for. Maybe they will come up with a parcel tax to fix the streets too, ridiculous.”
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“Our Council has chosen to spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyer fees to block an asphalt plant in the county. Having lost in court they are now considering spending more. They have a spending problem not a tax problem. Eight years of blocking Target and losing millions in tax revenue. I won’t give them any more tax money.”
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“Parks make for a better and healthier community. They should be a priority.”
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“People want well-kept parks but don’t want to pay for it. Time to put up or shut up.”
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“Too many taxes on the already burdened single family homeowner.”
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“Petaluma lacks the first class athletic facilities that other towns its size have. This parcel tax measure is a good first step toward correcting this inequity.”
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“PFOR is a great opportunity for Petaluma. The projects are needed now.”
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“Scale down the size of East Washington Park. Have the groups raise funds as community members if they want to donate money to help the City build East Washington Park or maintain other buildings.”
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“The city has neglected the maintenance of parks and recreational facilities for the past 10 years. Additionally, they have not expanded park and recreational facilities to meet the growing and changing needs of our citizens. This is a measure that addresses both needs.”
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“The parks hold the community together. It seems everybody uses them at one time or another. We need to keep them up and not let them decay.”
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“The people who will end up paying for this are not the people that use it the most. Renters do not pay this tax. Let the people and organizations that use the facilities and cause the wear and tear, pay for it.”
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“The swim center was built 50 years ago. It is dingy, run down. Equipment is failing and inefficient. If this money would improve that facility, I am all for it.”
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“The trails at Wiseman Park are dangerous and unsafe. Large holes. But do you need to add a roof to the community center for a park tax?”