Concord's voter approved half-cent increase in the sales tax (Measure Q) goes into effect on April 1.

The Board of Equalization has sent this special notice to all businesses required to collect and file tax reports with them.  The notice lists all jurisdictions that will be changing their sales tax rate.

The increase in the sales tax will last five years and is expected to generate approximately $8 million dollars per year.  These funds will be used to protect core city services and replenish the city's budget reserves.  The additional revenue will not be used to restore city services or staff positions cut over the past two years as the city worked to balance its budget against declining revenues.

In approving the temporary sales tax increase (Measure Q) the voters also directed the City Council to appoint an Oversight Committee.  In January 2011 the Council decided the Oversight Committee should consist of seven members – 4 residents, 2 Concord business people (who may not live in Concord) and 1 who could be either a resident or business person.  The Council is expected to interview and appoint the initial Oversight Committee sometime in the next month.

I have applied to serve on the Oversight Committee because I would like to ensure the commitments the city made to Concord voters about the use and temporary nature of the additional sales tax are kept.

I know tax increases are unpopular.  The alternative – further cuts in city services after two years of program reductions, staff reductions and employee compensation concessions would also be unpopular.

The new sales tax revenue will give the city some flexibility as it struggles with yet another "take-away" by the state with the near certain elimination of redevelopment agencies in this year's state budget package.  I hope our legislators work with Governor Brown to create a new mechanism voters can approve to fund a new style of redevelopment and/or economic development efforts.

I appreciate the vision Concord voter's expressed when they passed Measure Q last November.  Now it will be important to see that the new revenue is used properly to stabilize city services and replenish our budget reserve – so that in five years we are prepared when this revenue source expires.

It's been over 10 years since a woman has served on the Concord Planning Commission.

And yet only three of the 19 applicants the City Council will be considering for appointment to the Planning Commission next Tuesday night are women.  Why? [Link to staff report.]

The issues coming before the Planning Commission over the next two years are important and include both policy questions about the Base Reuse Project and the Citywide standards in the new Development Code.  On those two matters alone the Planning Commission recommendations to the City Council will help shape the future of Concord for decades.

Here's my advice to the Council:

1. Ignore those who tell you not to put possible opponents (future Council candidates) on the Planning Commission.  The Planning Commission is a training ground for future Council members.  Putting someone on the Planning Commission tests their abilities and gives them a small dose of the reality of serving in public office.  It is the best kind of succession planning.  And if ultimately the voters decide someone should serve on the City Council – I'd certainly prefer they have this experience.
2. Your staff is stretched thin.  Bringing new commissioners up to speed on the important, pending matters will take staff time and effort. While you are now filling 3 of the 5 Planning Commission seats, you have one "open" seat created by Ron Leone's election to Council last November. Think carefully before making more "change" than that. Now is not the time to discard the institutional knowledge and experience of Commissioners Bob Hoag and Kevin Costa.
3. Appoint a woman. 

As I reviewed yesterday's election results from Concord I noticed a interesting fact. About 13,000 votes were not cast in the City Council election – that could have been cast.  According to the County Elections department there were 25,001 votes cast for and against Measure Q.

That should mean in a Council race for three seats (everyone has three votes) – that about 75,000 votes could be cast for City Council.  Yet look at the returns for Council…

Only 62,059 votes – or about 13,000 fewer than allowed/possible were actually cast.

Ironic.  More votes were not cast than the top vote-getter received.  Campaign strategy?  Voter forgetfulness or inattention?  Probably both and other reasons as well.  Still, what if…

P.S. – THANK YOU to Concord voters for passing Measure Q and providing funding protection for vital city services!

NOTE:  The tables shown in this post were not the final results – just what was available the morning after the election.