The following letters to the editor were received in the last five days:
The strength of our public schools is intertwined with the strength of our city. Police, fire, public works, schoolmates, and PMS sports are all priorities for our residents and part of the services provided by the City of Piedmont. Our beautiful parks and all playfields (except the Witter Sports Complex) are owned and operated by the City of Piedmont. Implementing public safety improvements in and around school sites depends in part on having a sustainable funding stream.
Piedmont voters passed Measure H to support our schools, and now it’s time for voters to pass Measure GG to support our City. Measure GG is not a parcel tax. It is a one-time tax incurred when real property is transferred. All proceeds from Measure GG stay here in Piedmont to fund the services and facilities upon which the school district, and all of us, rely. Please join me in supporting Measure GG. To learn more and show your support, please visit YesonMeasureGG.com.
Ruchi Medhekar
President, Piedmont Board of Education
I strongly recommend Piedmont voters support Measure GG on this November ballot. Measure GG is a “transfer tax”, a one-time assessment collected when property is sold or ownership is transferred. The current Piedmont transfer tax was set in 1993. It has not been updated in 33 years.
The transfer tax is a one-time tax levied on a property at the time of sale and is often split between the buyer and the seller. Piedmont does not have sales tax or any significant commercial tax revenue, so the transfer tax is a critical source of income and represents 10% of the annual operating budget of the City.
Proceeds from Measure GG will stay in Piedmont and support our core city services through the city’s General Fund. The city uses those revenues to partially pay for repair of aging city buildings, streets and sidewalks, parks, public safety and recreation.
Our neighboring communities of Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Richmond have all increased their transfer taxes far higher than Measure GG. While Piedmont home prices have risen in the last few years, maintenance expenses and construction costs for roads, sidewalks and storm drains have risen even faster.
As a former councilmember and mayor, and now chair of the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee, I have had a front row seat to city revenues and expenditures for the past 14 years. I can attest that the City Council has taken, and continues to take, a conservative approach to budgeting and expenditures. A long-overdue increase in the transfer tax would provide the city with revenue to continue to provide essential services and maintain the basic city infrastructure upon which we all rely. Please join me in voting YES on Measure GG.
Bob McBain
Former mayor and current chair of the Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee
I am writing in support of Measure GG, which will appear on the November 3 ballot.
Piedmont is a remarkable community because of the things we have built and maintained together—excellent public safety, responsive police and fire services, beautiful parks, well-maintained streets and sidewalks, and the many community services that contribute to the quality of life we value so highly.
Measure GG provides an important source of funding to help preserve those services for the future. The measure would increase Piedmont’s one-time real property transfer tax from 1.3% to 1.75% and is expected to generate approximately $1.5 million annually in additional general tax revenue.
What I particularly appreciate about this approach is that it is a one-time tax paid when a property changes hands, rather than an annual tax on every Piedmont homeowner. The cost of the transfer tax can also be negotiated as part of a real estate transaction.
For those of us who live in Piedmont, the value of our community is not simply the homes we own. It is the security of knowing that our police and firefighters are there when we need them. It is the quality of our parks, roads, sidewalks and public spaces. It is the investment we make in maintaining the infrastructure and services that make Piedmont such a special place to live.
The city has identified significant ongoing needs, including aging buildings, infrastructure, parks, stormwater systems, roads and sidewalks, in addition to essential public safety and emergency services.
I believe maintaining these services is an investment in the community we all care about. Measure GG provides an opportunity to help ensure that Piedmont continues to be the safe, beautiful and exceptionally well-served community we know and love.
I encourage my fellow Piedmonters to vote YES on Measure GG this November.
Teresa Baum
Realtor