Letter to the Editor: Vote Yes on Measure N

The following letter to the editor comes from Earl Heal, President of the Solano County Taxpayers Association.

As the President of the Solano County Taxpayers Association (SCTA) I am obligated to respond for the Association to  that appeared on Dixon Patch. 
  
The Solano County Taxpayers Association (SCTA) was incorporated in October 17, 1960 with “watchdog” responsibilities to study and survey conditions within the County related to taxation effects, to promote movements for the conservation of tax moneys and the conservation of expenditures thereof, and to publicize the tax structure to effect an efficient governmental administration. 
  
It is the duty of each citizen to hold their government accountable. Of all people, the city clerk should not view this right as “invasive.”  It is SCTA’s chartered responsibility to request public records when needed.  
  
The former City Clerk stated the SCTA “submitted the majority of public records requests, more than anybody else in this community.” 

Despite the above allegation and the statement that “requests have 8 to 10 questions and each question asked for multiple documents,” a review of our records only found one Public Records request made to the city from the Dixon Chapter of SCTA. The demand was made on April 17, 2006 requesting the list of names and addresses of all homeowners that the City mailed notification for a Public Hearing that would consider a sewer rate increase and also requested the names and number of protests submitted to the city by that date. These requests had to do with the city clerk's job in regards to the Prop 218 process. We wanted to ensure that all homeowners were notified of the proposed sewer rate increase and all were given the opportunity to protest, a right given to them by the California Constitution.

The SCTA is the only organization chartered to watch after the taxpayers’ wallet and has fought against unnecessary sewer and water rate increases. (Keep your eye for the next water rate increase that is around the corner and file your protests again.) And remember that it is because of the Dixon Chapter’s intervention the city of Dixon was given another chance to prove to the Regional Water Quality Control Board that the city of Dixon is not polluting the ground.

We are still a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

The Solano County Taxpayers Association wholeheartedly supports and endorses Measure N to ensure transparency of government. We are asking Dixon citizens to vote YES on Measure N.

Earl Heal, President, SCTA              

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