The following Letter was submitted by Antioch Mayor Sean Wright regarding Measure W
As a business owner and former CEO of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce I came to the office of Mayor with a mindset to search through the budget and cut out the fat. I found a city that runs with a very lean workforce and pays our non-police employees less than surrounding communities. Any fat had already been trimmed during the recession to avoid bankruptcy. I sat looking at a city with a revenue problem not a spending one.
To put this in perspective- Antioch has a population of 115,000 with an annual budget of $55 million compared to our neighboring city of Brentwood with a population of 65,000 and an annual budget of $59 million. Brentwood pays more in property taxes than Antioch residents and they have more money to improve their city as a result. As some of our residents have moved to Brentwood- they have chosen to tax themselves with a more expensive house and higher taxes.
Measure W gives us a choice to increase our financial ability to make our community safer, create more activities for our youth after school and to improve our quality of life. A citizen’s oversight committee will help to hold future Council’s accountable and ensure that these vital resources are utilized appropriately.
We have an opportunity to come together to support a sales tax measure to raise the funds necessary to continue moving Antioch in the right direction and help us reach our full potential. Please join me on November 6th in voting Yes on Measure W.
Sincerely,
Mayor Sean Wright
City of Antioch
