On Tuesday night, the Antioch City Council will discuss placing a citywide 1% Sales Tax Measure on the 2018 November Ballot.
The proposal, in its current form, would double the Measure C tax which is currently at 0.5% which raises roughly $6.7 million for police services to 1% which could generate $14 million in revenue.
The difference between Measure C and this new proposal, is 100% of Measure C went to the police department whereas 40% of this new tax revenue would be funneled away from the Police Department into other services. As written, it is unclear if Tuesdays proposal will simply maintain the Antioch Police Department levels at 104 officers and services, or if approved, if it would further increase police and code enforcement staffing.
The proposal was drafted by Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson who serve on the Quality of Life Ad-Hoc Committee. The committee received information from FM3, who conducted a survey while Lew Edwards Group provided date in the “We Want to Hear From You” campaign which helped guide the proposal.
According to the agenda item, here is the ballot measure question:
To maintain Antioch’s fiscal stability and police patrols, 911 emergency response, youth violence prevention programs; ensuring water quality and safety; repairing streets; cleaning up parks/illegal dumping; restoring youth after-school/summer programs; and other essential services; shall the measure be adopted approving an ordinance to renew the sales tax at the one-cent rate, raising approximately $14,000,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring independent annual financial audits and all expenditures available for public review?
Under the Draft Proposal for the 2018 Sales Tax Ballot Measure:
Maintain Public Safety – 60%
- Maintain and restore neighborhood police patrols
- Maintain 911 emergency response
- Maintain community engagement team
- Maintain Code and Traffic Enforcement Team
Support Youth Services – 20%
- Provide safe, healthy play areas
- Restore after-school and summer youth programs
- Maintain youth violence and anti-gang programs
Support Quality of Live, Fiscal Stability/Accountability – 20%
- Maintain Code and Traffic Enforcement Serves (editors note, a duplicate in the draft)
- Ensure water quality & safety
- Support senior programs and services
- Address street/road repairs
- Attracting and retaining local businesses
Under Measure C currently, the residents of Antioch and its police department were promised 22 new officers which they have yet to hit because of attrition. They are currently at around 95 officers. Police still do not have the staffing levels when compared to neighboring police agencies.
However, under Measure C, police were able to purchase new communication equipment, bring back traffic enforcement, increase K9 unit and continue to perform proactive details while allowing staffing to improve community engagement. They also beefed up code enforcement.
To provide feedback to the Antioch City Council:
Mayor Sean Wright: [email protected]
Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe: [email protected]
Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock: [email protected]
Councilwoman Monica Wilson: [email protected]
Councilman Tony Tiscareno: [email protected]
For more on the proposal in the staff report, click here.
If you Go:
Antioch City Council Meeting
July 24 at 7:00 pm
200 H St, City of Antioch CA
29 comments
Lamar Thorpe has been a giant disappointment so far and this is the nail in his coffin. Had high hopes, now he just sucks. What a terrible idea to raise taxes and not increase police services.
Plus the town looks like a total dump with all the litter and homeless encampments. No riding on a bike trail; too much glass and too many transients. Both versions of the City Council since I’ve lived in Antioch just SUCK!
Raise taxes for what?? Good tax paying citizens are done paying taxes in this shithole of a town, why dont you fuks show us some results, then ask for taxes. Its all take take take with you fuking clowns. This Mayor and City Council can go CORNHOLE themselves!!
Well said; my feelings exactly.
AMEN!
There is a threshold on the maximum sales tax that can be charged. Someone should check with the state as Contra Costa County may be maxed out. This would invalidate an initiative unless the state legislators change the law again.
Absolutely NOT and I will campaign against it. The council does not spend our money responsibly. Lamar is losing my support rapidly.
No more, shopping in Antioch, will shop in Tracy.
Who shops in Antioch anyway; worst stores I’ve ever seen. Who wants to watch a woman spit in the parking lot and all the psychos calling each other names.
No more, shopping in Antioch, will shop in Tracy.
Already one of the highest sales tax rates in the entire state of California. Don’t think we’ve seen any improvement from the last hike.
Need to get rid of these clowns, at this rate of progress anyone could be a politician in Antioch CA.
Totally agree with you!
Plus 1 on the “yes” get rid of these clowns and get someone with a head for business in this low life, loser town.
Look at the photo above, even the sign statue Is chipping paint and has stains from the homeless pissing on it.
You are right; LOL! I’m sure the City Council wouldn’t have it any other way! Transients First!
The promoters of Measure C lied … They promised 22 Police Officers were ready to be hired upon its passing — anyone who knows anything about how police departments hire people knew this was utter BS. 100% of Measure C monies do NOT go to the Police Department now, the money goes to the General Fund then doled out to the police department, code enforcement and “other” departments. The Police Department also promised UPON ITS PASSING there would be 122 officers working, not the 103 or close to that number now.
I got into huge debates with people on this blog regarding Measure C — those who were ill advised that Measure C would be the answer to all Antioch’s public safety issues. Now comes this measure — gimme a break. It is going to be used to fund “Mommy and Me” programs at Leisure Services, not the Police Department. A specific tax (specific for police services) would require 66% passage, so be warned this is an end run being used by two Council Members to tout this measure — using the old catch phrase “Ensuring Public Safety will be assured upon the measure’s approval”.
“However, under Measure C, police were able to purchase new communication equipment, bring back traffic enforcement, increase K9 unit and continue to perform proactive details while allowing staffing to improve community engagement. They also beefed up code enforcement.”
This is a complete lie……what tradfic enforcement?? Beefed up code enforcement?? Are you kidding me? Look at see click fix website, that will confirm what a bunch of lying Aholes these fuks are.
I haven’t seen any traffic enforcement; what I’ve seen is a ton of NO ENFORCEMENT!
You are correct. There are only 2 officers doing traffic enforcement and they work a dayshift 4/10 schedule with weekends/holidays off. Measure C did not fulfill the proponents promises .. Neither will this new tax measure. A tax measure is never going to be the answer unless it is “activity funding specific” a police tax, animal services tax, “mommy and me” classes tax, etc. which would require 66% yes votes. The council will still enter into lucrative agreements with “consultants” on how to make Antioch better instead of doing what they were elected to do, and they will continue the same old tired projects — more houses and strip malls in SE Antioch.
Measure C is a joke. They did not bring the police department up to adequate staffing levels to serve the city. Code Enforcement is NOT part of the Police Department. I retired from the PD in 2013 and basically there was a K9 assigned to each shift for the most part, so they did not add more dogs. Antioch has always had an adequate well staffed K9 Unit. As far as traffic enforcement goes, there are only two officers assigned to that duty for the entire city and they both work dayshift on I could be wrong a 4/10 schedule. So there has been no improvement with the police department staffing levels. In fact, their staffing levels have remained stagnant — no new additional positions authorized 104 officers which not all the positions are filled. NOW … What about Animal Services ?? — I don’t see them mentioned and the police department does not lavish huge amounts of money from its budget to help that severely understaffed/underfunded component of Public Safety. No money generated from this proposed tax should go towards Rec/Leisure Services
NOPE; I haven’t seen one single bit of improvement since the last sales tax increase.
Measure C failed to provide any improvement, that is a fact. The fools on the City Council have a lot of nerve asking the residents of Antioch to not only extend the taxes but double them. I think that the proof is in the pudding…We the residents approved the 1/2 cent sales tax increase in 2013, they had a shot to turn this city around and failed, there has been NO IMPROVEMENT …I urge the residents of Antioch to just say NO WE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS NEW MEASURE. We’ve had enough of the false promises !!
Funny how they always use the getting more police angle whenever they want to raise taxes. They know this City is a mess and lawless, so they use that as a scare tactic. Why dont you fill the positions that are already vacant and show the taxpayers of Antioch some results first? I drive around this town alot, its getting worse and worse by the day.
Look at the homeless issue, zero traffic enforcement, our city parks are a joke, trash allover our streets, abandoned cars everywhere, homeowners not maintaining there yards and property. All this does is attract lowlife scumbags to this area and it makes the good caring citizens sell their houses and get the hell out of here. I use to try and stay positive, but now we are so close to throwing in the towel and ourselves and selling our place and leaving. The worse part is this City needs people like me and others here, home owner, business owner, active in the community, voter.
This city will never attract the rich people it wants out at The Ranch because it is filthy everywhere and the school district would not attract affluent parents. No on new taxes.
I agree, youre one of the smarter posters on here and youre actual involved in the community. Thanks for your posts
Council has to learn to work within a budget, my pockets are closed…
The nomination period for running for two seats on the City Council opened July 16th and ends at 5 p.m., Friday, August 10th. Interested in pulling nomination papers? Call 779-7008 to make an appointment.
NO, positively NO! For as long as I’ve lived here the city councils never every have enough $$$, nor have they ever seen a tax they didn’t like. Enough is enough. Let them learn to live with what they have. It would help very much if they would stop all the damn residential development.
Maybe it’s time for a recall election!
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