Increasing property tax revenue and budget surpluses

Interesting story in todays Union Tribune about the city of Encinitas bogarting our tax money. Remember all the scare tactics over the budget former city manager Kerry Miller played with us? I say it's time for the city to REDUCE some fees.

Proposed budget includes big-ticket items

By Angela Lau
STAFF WRITER

April 20, 2007

ENCINITAS – Thanks to increasing property tax
revenue and budget surpluses, Encinitas will have more than enough money to build priority facilities, boost its reserves to an unprecedented level and go high tech, a proposed budget for the coming fiscal year shows.

It will even spare property owners the threat of fee increases in two controversial programs – pollution control, and street lighting and landscaping.

The city will use general funds to subsidize those.

In doing so, city officials are acknowledging the harsh lessons learned in 2005 and last year when voters rejected a $3-to $5-per-year increase in the Lighting and Landscape District's assessment and a $5-a-month pollution control fee.

Not only did voters say no, but critics repeatedly accused the city of nickel-and-diming property owners.

read the rest of the story here.


I don't know if am ready to swallow this as something other than spin (because they tried to raise our taxes!) and the city has played shell games with money before that makes not a subsidy of those projects, and instead some of it is going the other way...

I might be giving the city some applause because many people have suggested this years ago, although the city is only halfway there. Member of the Encinitas Taxpayers Assoc wanted them to actually REDUCE some of our fees. Flush Encinitas should cut, not raise taxes.

The Encinitas City Council repeatedly proclaims that it has done a wonderful job with the city's budget. The city has plenty of money, enough to absorb citywide pay and pension raises and increases in staffing. If things are so great, why does the council proceed so frantically when it comes to obtaining more taxes?

Consider the recent clean-water tax. It was illegally enacted. Then the city spent money to defend it in court even though the obvious outcome would be a legal defeat. The city sent ballots to city landowners in the hope that we would elect to send the city more money for its streetlight assessment. The city manager sent residents an accompanying letter filled with confusing and scary propaganda that the city would cut services if revenue did not increase.

Fortunately, residents voted against increased taxes.

Unfortunately, the council has wasted tens of thousands of dollars on it is failed efforts to raise our taxes. If we trust the city's rosy predictions, the city's income should be increasing in the next few years. Instead of increasing the size of government, let's give tax money back to the residents. Let's use those future revenue increases to eliminate the lighting assessment that the council was trying to
increase.

Hopefully, the city is now shifting away from nickel and dime mode. I would also like to note that the amount of property tax collected from Leucadia must be an absolute windfall. I'm looking forward to seeing that money invested back into Leucadia.

See also:

Leucadia!: Financial Flimflam

Leucadia!: More Dirty Tricks, a must read

Carpetbagger Steve Aceti moves to Leucadia so he can run for Encinitas city council in 2008

Tax lobbyist and shameless carpetbagger Steve Aceti has sold his house in Carlsbad and has moved to Leucadia so that he can run for Encinitas city council in 2008.



NCT.com: Steve Aceti moving to Encinitas, entertaining 2008 council run

Aceti was recently rejected by Carlsbad, Aceti applied to fill a vacancy on the Carlsbad City Council created by the resignation of Norine Sigafoose. Apparently, Aceti feels that Encinitas deserves Carlsbad's unwanted leftovers.

A native of New York, Aceti received a law degree from the State University of New York at Albany. In the mid-1990s in Encinitas, Aceti participated in a successful campaign to increase hotel taxes to create money for beach restoration.

This was Prop R. This unfair tax was most likely voted in because it is a hotel/motel tax that tourist must pay and didn't directly affect resident wallets. The Prop R money traditionally buys and imports that really horrible itchy ashtray sand that the city dumps between the lifeguard towers in the touristy section of Moonlight Beach.

In 2003, Aceti led an unsuccessful campaign to institute an Encinitas clean-water fee.

This was Prop C, a fee with a name that was supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Disguised as a clean water program, Prop C unfairly targeted homeowners to subsidize out of control spending by the Encinitas city council led by former city manager Kerry Miller. Prop C was crushed at the polls. At the height of the campaign Aceti often became enraged at the Encinitas Taxpayer's Association and fired off many classic letters to the editors of the North County Times.

As a member of DEMA Aceti toys with the idea of parking meters for downtown Encinitas. Coast News story.

I have to admit, Aceti has conojes. He is already widely unpopular in Encinitas so it's very brash of him to announce his 2008 run for council so soon. It's baffling though, does Aceti really think he can win? Longtime resident Doug Long is far more likeable and he wasn't able to win a seat in the last election (although he probably would if not running against the smart and charming Teresa Barth). Thomas Brown spent a lot of money running for council and was defeated and Brown is about 1000 times more likable than Aceti.

Does professional tax lobbyist Steve Aceti really stand a chance of winning an Encinitas city council seat against lifelong local Doug Long? Can Aceti outspend the well equipped and intelligent Thomas Brown? Can an obvious carpetbagger defeat incumbents Jim Bond (who may retire and leave an empty seat up for grabs), Maggie Houlihan (who has received the most votes ever for council), and Jerome Stocks who, despite controversy, has a solid base ?

We'll be keeping a watchful eye on our new neighbor Steve Aceti.

See also:

Leucadia!: "a fee with a name that made us feel good"

Leucadia!: Aceti Lies to NCT, "We're back to cobble."

Leucadia!: Aceti Still Talking About Raising Taxes

Aceti also backed this increase in car registration: North County Republicans decry proposed fee

Harsh

The Leucadia Roadside Park looks awfully naked without those big cypress trees.

UT story online: Beloved cypresses get fond farewell

New Gas Station Question and Comment

The following is a comment that was posted on this blog regarding the new gas station on the coast highway. I think it has merit so I'm posting it on the main page. The poster "Koalani" is an architect and former Leucadia resident.



This is totally unrelated, but I havent been to this blog in months. I was looking at the Leucadia 'tour' and was struck by the new look gas station. I was wondering if anyone knows if any 'green' efforts have been made with that new station. Is the building employing any sustainable principles? Is anything being done to curtail the runoff that will inevitably come from it (i.e. bioswales)? Will it be selling any sort of biofuels?

I ask because it seems like a new gas station is the perfect opportunity to effect change in the building, it's byproducts, and the fuel it sells. Leucadians need to demand these types of changes. When a new gas station is built to the status quo, it is a loss in our fight to keep Leucadia as the last bastion of healthy coastline in southern california.



Up here in Eugene a company called Sequential Biofuels is leading the way. They just opened a 'sustainable' gas station a few blocks from my house that sets an outstanding precedent in the fuel they sells, the building they sell fuel from, and the measures implemented to prevent inevitable gas station pollution. Too bad this wasn't built there in Leucadia off of Highway 101.

http://www.sqbiofuels.com/retail7_presskit.htm

Alohas to all my old friends and neighbors. Keep up the good fight!

Welcome to Leucadia

Goodbye to our iconic trees?

I hear that the iconic Cypress trees that represent the heart of Leucadia in our little humble roadside park must be cut down due to rot. This makes me sad. A couple of trees were cut down a few years ago for the same reason. The park and Leucadia are going to look naked without those trees.

Please post some ideas for our roadside park, we can embrace this as a new beginning.

Painting of our beloved trees by the talented Scott Saw.

***UPDATE***Scott Saw will be in the park tonight (Monday, 16th) handing out posters of the above painting. Smart folks will get theirs signed.

Leucadia!

See you all at the end of the week...

No Leucadia blogging for me this week, I'm heading south for some surfy surfy.
I turned off the comments feature until I get back, hee hee.
peace,

your best pal,

JP

Weekend Update

Go to the Farmer's Market in Leucadia every Sunday and eat some healthy food for a change. Leucadia101 web page.

News Roundup via NCT.com

Three apply for Planning Commission seat

Blogger sez: Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Encinitas to unveil public works plans

By: North County Times -

ENCINITAS -- Encinitas officials will explain improvement plans for the city's public works facility from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the department's headquarters, 160 Calle Magdalena.

The city bought the former automobile dealership last summer but has yet to move all of the department's employees and equipment to the site. The department is applying for city permits for the renovation program.

To learn more, contact HB&A Architects at (760) 738-8608.

Panel recommended to study Cardiff Specific Plan

By: North County Times -

ENCINITAS -- The Encinitas Planning Commission will recommend that the City Council form a committee to evaluate the Cardiff Specific Plan, Commissioner Tom McCabe said Friday.

The commissioners agreed at their hearing this week to suggest that the panel include two members of the Planning Commission; the Cardiff representative to the city Traffic Commission; one member each from the Cardiff Town Council and Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce; and four residents or business owners.

The panel would meet weekly and evaluate the plan one chapter at a time, McCabe said. A revised plan would require approvals from the City Council and California Coastal Commission.

A draft of the plan was met with strong opposition at a council hearing last month.

McCabe estimated the panel's review process would take six months.

Grass-roots society spruces up Cardiff promenade

Encinitas' 101 Artists Colony faces loss of lease again

*Blogger sez: Move them to north Leucadia!

Fallen eucalyptus prompts vow to save the others

Blogger sez: Begin replacing the old eucs that can't be saved or maintained with California native oak trees.

Downtown Encinitas project won't include short-term rentals

Blogger sez: Good luck.

See also: The Coast News Encinitas page

Urban Planner Stuck In Traffic Of Own Design

PITTSBURGH, PA—Bernard Rothstein, an urban planner and traffic-flow modulation specialist with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, found himself stuck in rush-hour traffic of his own design for more than an hour Monday.

South Swells Bring Sand to Leucadia

click images for large views.

Today's swell model displaying current south swell running.

Early March 2007, Beacon's Beach Leucadia. The following photos show the week by week ebb and flow of sand levels over the past 30 days or so.
***UPDATE--The strip of black between the 2001 sand at the base of the bluff and the natural sand is NOT cobblestones. It is a strip of black sand. Enlarge the photos and examine closely. Better yet, go down the Beacon's trail this weekend and wiggle your little piggies in the sand in person.







This is the only day in a month that Beacon's had any cobbles. It was the day after that big wind storm that knocked down the big eucalyptus tree at Hansen's. The cobbles didn't last long and were quickly buried under new sand by the end of the week.


Taken this morning. Lots o' sand again.

Some regular readers of this blog who have never been to the beach before scoffed when I wrote that south swells naturally replenish our local beaches with sand. Somebody else out there agrees with this basic truth:
Harbor dredging to deposit sand offshore

Leucadia!: Aceti Lies to NCT, "We're back to cobble."

Monterey Bay Kelp Cam Thanks D.C.!

Let's Tour North Leucadia (part 15)

I've crossed the highway so you could call this entry part 14B. Click images for large view.

Backtracking a bit for a view of the Bar Leucadian and the nearby houses. Not sure how a busy popular bar co-exist with homes this close.
Notice the dirt median. I think instead of always trying to plant and grow stuff in these little sections, that instead we should scoop the dreaded cobblestones off the beach and pave these small sections of the medians with them. That would look cool.

Biking is a group sport despite the lack on any real bike lane. Notice the poor condition of the train track area. When people complain about dirt and weeds in Leucadia this is what stands out. However, it is wrong to blame the residents or even the Encinitas city council. The NCTD is in charge of the area and frankly, they do a piss poor job maintaining it. And, every time a train goes by it kicks up a huge dust cloud.

The NCTD could at least cover this area with wood chips or something to keep the weeds at bay and keep the dirt and dust down. Hell, dump the cobblestones around the tracks instead of that gravel.
The NCTD is like it's very own little fascist government that cuts through your freedom loving town. The NCTD does a lot of disrespectful stuff in Leucadia like this.

The eucalyptus trees provide their own mulch but there aren't that many of them on this side of the highway. Most of the trees are in the center medians. The city or NCTD should at least plant a hedge along the coast highway.

Here is a better view of the quaint little red place shown on part 14 of the tour.


Scott's Automotive from across the street. I shot this photo on a weekday hence the cars there. The photos from part 14 of the tour were shot on a Sunday.

*Encinitas city councilman Jerome Stocks is on the NCTD's board of directors. Be sure to contact him often with your complaints, link.

Leucadia!: Let's Tour North Leucadia (part 14)

Let's Tour North Leucadia (part 14)

click images for large view


Continuing our walking tour of the north Leucadia coastal corridor we find ourselves at this classic old red garage/barn building that always looks like it's on the verge of falling down. I have never once seen anyone come in or out of this place, heh. Can you say funky?



I really like that this old school auto-mechanic building still exist on the coast highway. I really dig this place and love driving past and seeing the race cars and hot rods out front.


The Royal Liquor building is one of many basic cube style buildings in Leucadia. But I'm not that keen on this one. The main issue is the use of the problematic stucco that collects and traps dirt and grim so that the building has an overall filmy look. Compared to the classic 50's style Leucadia Liquor the Royal Liquor signage is kind of weak but maybe I'm just comparing apples and oranges.
Inside the store, Royal Liquor is a pretty decent place and has a nice walk-in cooler.


This looks somewhat ghetto.

Blogger recommends: Royal Liquor should apply for one of those Leucadia 101 Facade Grants and give this building a nice updated paint job.

Leucadia!: Let's Tour North Leucadia (part 13)

Kelp Cam

Regular readers of this blog know that I an advocate of the health and sustainability of our local kelp beds. If you ever wondered what was going below the surface of these kelp beds and you are not adventurous enough to put on a mask and snorkel, then you can check out the Scripps Kelp Cam. This is a live cam at the Scripps aquarium that shows what the kelp ecosystem looks like.

To see the Scripps Kelp Cam at Camzone.com click here then find the link on the left side of the page to Scripps Kelpcam.

I think once people observe what is going on in these kelp beds it will them understand why it is so important to maintain them.



See also: Leucadia!: But who else except for surfers would notice...?

Thanks Nick!