Hanford Insider: A Deep Dive into the Tax Revenue Measure on the ballot

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:01.580 --> 00:00:13.026
On this week's episode of the Insider, rob will give us an update on the community calendar, then we'll hear from members of the Hanford Revenue Measure Committee and I'll be back with a high school football recap.

00:00:13.026 --> 00:00:15.521
This is the Hanford Insider.

00:00:35.899 --> 00:00:36.923
I'm your host, Rob Bentley.

00:00:36.923 --> 00:00:39.884
Thanks for listening In community news.

00:00:39.884 --> 00:00:49.853
How amazing was it to see the community coming together last Sunday afternoon to welcome home Vietnam Army combat veteran Gene Oliveira from a long stay at the Stanford Medical Center.

00:00:49.853 --> 00:00:53.549
He'll spend the remaining days at home in hospice care with his family.

00:00:53.549 --> 00:01:02.194
Hundreds of citizens lined the street at the corner of Zion and Cinnamon as Gene arrived via ambulance to spend the remainder of his days at home.

00:01:02.194 --> 00:01:05.882
Cancer may take the body, but it can't conquer the spirit.

00:01:05.882 --> 00:01:10.376
Gene was seen waving to the crowd as the EMTs escorted him into his home.

00:01:10.376 --> 00:01:23.742
He fought with courage and valor overseas and was given a warm welcome home by several veterans organizations, the 1776 Sons of Liberty, the Hanford Oaks flag and, of course, his loving family, friends and neighbors.

00:01:23.742 --> 00:01:30.091
The city of Hanford was recently awarded a $1 million grant called Hanford Goes Green.

00:01:30.091 --> 00:01:36.930
Among many other benefits, the city will be able to plant over 600 trees within disadvantaged communities in Hanford.

00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:39.421
There'll be a kickoff event scheduled soon.

00:01:39.421 --> 00:01:44.873
The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is on September 17th.

00:01:44.873 --> 00:01:49.448
The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is on September 17th.

00:01:49.468 --> 00:01:51.632
Here's some things coming up on our community calendar.

00:01:51.632 --> 00:02:00.165
At this week's Thursday Night Marketplace it's Food Truck Appreciation Night with music by the Classic All-Stars.

00:02:00.165 --> 00:02:01.888
The Kings players are presenting Outward Bound Evening.

00:02:01.888 --> 00:02:05.213
Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning at 7 pm.

00:02:05.213 --> 00:02:14.872
There are also select matinee performances on the weekends.

00:02:14.872 --> 00:02:16.460
For more information, visit kingsplayersorg.

00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:21.566
Part two of the Kings County's Asian Experiences opens this Friday, September 6th, at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County.

00:02:21.566 --> 00:02:24.872
Part two showcases local Asian communities in the years following World War II.

00:02:24.872 --> 00:02:32.633
Specific displays focus on the histories, cultures and traditions of the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Hmong in the area.

00:02:32.633 --> 00:02:38.712
As part of the exhibition, they'll be holding a tribute to the China Ali Moon Festival on September 28.

00:02:38.712 --> 00:02:43.270
For more information, visit CarnegieMuseumofKingsCountyorg.

00:02:43.270 --> 00:02:46.153
Visit CarnegieMuseumofKingsCountyorg.

00:02:46.153 --> 00:02:51.931
The Kings County Special Olympics Chili Cook-Off and Cornhole Tournament will be held this Saturday, September 7th in the Civic Auditorium Park.

00:02:51.931 --> 00:02:59.909
Women with Visions Unlimited will be presenting their All-White Party on Saturday, September 7th at the King's Arts Center.

00:02:59.909 --> 00:03:03.890
Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

00:03:03.890 --> 00:03:09.032
If you have an event coming up and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together.

00:03:09.032 --> 00:03:12.308
Send your information to hanfordinsider at gmailcom.

00:03:12.308 --> 00:03:17.282
Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a complete calendar of events.

00:03:33.194 --> 00:03:37.138
On today's episode, we'll take a long look at the Hanford Revenue, Measure H.

00:03:37.138 --> 00:03:43.424
I'll give you a little background on the measure, and then some members of the Revenue Measure Committee will be joining me to share some of their thoughts.

00:03:43.424 --> 00:03:47.731
This program is not sponsored by the city or any affiliated company.

00:03:47.731 --> 00:03:54.342
It's just my way of communicating with my listeners about the needs of the city and how the Revenue Measure will help meet those needs.

00:03:54.342 --> 00:03:59.319
I'm in favor of Measure H, but you'll want to listen to the following information.

00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:03.491
Then decide for yourself what you feel is the best direction for our city on November 5th.

00:04:03.491 --> 00:04:07.126
For yourself, what you feel is the best direction for our city on November 5th.

00:04:07.126 --> 00:04:07.747
I appreciate you listening.

00:04:07.768 --> 00:04:12.461
Since becoming a city in 1891, Hanford has flourished into a community of over 59,000 people.

00:04:12.461 --> 00:04:19.605
While maintaining its small-town charm and rich history, Hanford has grown into the commercial and cultural center of Kings County.

00:04:19.605 --> 00:04:31.194
To maintain the city's standing as a great place to live and raise a family, we must continue investing in essential city services, the maintenance of streets and parks and an investment in public safety.

00:04:31.194 --> 00:04:46.961
In 2023, the Hanford City Council agreed that a possible revenue measure should be explored, beginning with an advisory body comprised of 15 community members, of 15 community members.

00:04:46.961 --> 00:04:50.920
Starting in February of 2024, the Revenue Measure Committee studied both the needs and the functions of departments and programs funded through the city's general fund.

00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:56.992
This includes police, fire, streets, parks and community services and code enforcement.

00:04:56.992 --> 00:05:07.430
On April 17th, the RMC unanimously adopted a draft 10-year expenditure plan which outlines their recommendation for how the potential revenues should be spent.

00:05:07.430 --> 00:05:12.531
The plan shows more than 90% of the funding going to police, fire and streets.

00:05:12.531 --> 00:05:21.675
On April 24th, the majority of the committee voted to recommend to the City Council that there's a need for a revenue measure in order to meet the community's growing needs.

00:05:21.675 --> 00:05:27.403
Meet the community's growing needs.

00:05:27.403 --> 00:05:32.456
Some of the key considerations were Hanford is only one of approximately 30 cities in California without a district sales tax out of 483 cities.

00:05:32.456 --> 00:05:36.564
Current general fund revenues do not meet budget demands.

00:05:36.564 --> 00:05:42.769
Hanford has approximately $60 million in deferred capital projects over the next five years.

00:05:43.932 --> 00:05:49.632
A general sales tax measure requires two-thirds approval by the city council to place on the measure ballot.

00:05:49.632 --> 00:05:56.269
A general sales tax measure requires support by a majority of 50 percent plus one of the registered voters.

00:05:56.269 --> 00:06:03.331
A one percent sales tax that would generate 19.2 million dollars in annual revenue for the city of Hanford.

00:06:03.331 --> 00:06:11.730
Revenue from a sales tax measure will stay local and funding cannot be taken by the state If approved by the voters.

00:06:11.730 --> 00:06:16.088
Revenue may only be spent on priorities outlined by the expenditure plan.

00:06:17.189 --> 00:06:22.490
It's commonly thought that Hanford and the Kings County area maintains the lowest sales tax rate in the state.

00:06:22.490 --> 00:06:28.084
However, many other cities and counties maintain the minimum rate of 7.25%.

00:06:28.084 --> 00:06:33.903
The sales tax rate within the city of Corcoran in Kings County is 8.25%.

00:06:33.903 --> 00:06:47.834
Since Corcoran maintains a city sales tax of 1%, the city of Avenel also maintains a 1% sales tax rate above the mandated 7.25%, making sales tax in Avenel 8.25%.

00:06:47.834 --> 00:06:55.860
Cities receive 1% of the 7.25% sales tax collected by the state of California within a particular city.

00:06:55.860 --> 00:07:03.173
Actually, Hanford receives only 0.95%, with 0.05% shared by the County of Kings.

00:07:03.173 --> 00:07:11.790
Although those Amazon purchases are convenient, there's no sales tax applied, so Hanford receives no income from your purchases from Amazon.

00:07:13.521 --> 00:07:23.072
If a revenue measure is approved by voters, it will be overseen by a Citizens Oversight Committee and a third-party auditor must review and audit all expenditures annually.

00:07:23.072 --> 00:07:27.531
This includes ensuring all expenditures are made in accordance with the plan.

00:07:27.531 --> 00:07:35.031
Projects completed with funding from an approved measure would be eligible for state or federal matching funds, should they be available.

00:07:35.031 --> 00:08:03.529
The measure submitted to voters will read as follows on the November 5th ballot, To provide funding that would remain local and cannot be taken by the state, to preserve and improve essential city services, including police, fire, 911, emergency response, neighborhood police patrols, crime prevention, maintain city streets and parks, address homelessness, improve youth and senior programs, retain local jobs and other general services.

00:08:03.529 --> 00:08:24.980
To pass the revenue measure, which is a general purpose measure, requires a majority 50% plus 1 of voters voting on the question at the election.

00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:26.983
Measure requires a majority 50% plus one of voters voting on the question at the election.

00:08:26.983 --> 00:08:42.065
The revenue measure that will appear on the November ballot, if approved by voters, will enable the city to invest in essential city services, improve maintenance of streets and parks and would include a large investment in public safety.

00:08:42.065 --> 00:08:57.572
Funding priorities include more police patrol officers and vehicles, additional firefighters and a new fire engine, a new public safety building, a new fire station, road repairs, maintenance and improvements to existing parks, more parks employees and additional code enforcement officers.

00:08:59.301 --> 00:09:04.434
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with some members of the Revenue Measure Committee, and here's what they had to say.

00:09:04.434 --> 00:09:08.965
Opportunity to sit down with some members of the Revenue Measure Committee, and here's what they had to say.

00:09:08.965 --> 00:09:12.774
Well, joining us now on the show, we have three members of the Revenue Measure Committee.

00:09:12.774 --> 00:09:17.571
We have Victor Chavarine Jr, Andrea Barone and Lois Bentley joining us.

00:09:17.571 --> 00:09:20.799
Welcome to the show, Hello, Hello.

00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:32.024
So, Andrea, as a member of the Revenue Measure Committee, you had some experiences coming into it, not being a born and raised resident of the Hanford area.

00:09:32.024 --> 00:09:34.125
What was your experience serving on the committee?

00:09:35.647 --> 00:09:41.018
Well, first of all, let me thank you for the opportunity to be here and talk about my experience.

00:09:41.018 --> 00:10:01.561
I come from a country which is Italy, where all these opportunities are really not available to the citizens, and so having the chance to sit down with the city staff and go over any possible question on my head about how the city budget works, it was a very good experience.

00:10:01.561 --> 00:10:05.432
I enjoyed it, definitely had a lot of different opinions.

00:10:05.432 --> 00:10:07.417
We had a very broad crowd.

00:10:07.417 --> 00:10:09.668
I think we were roughly 20 people.

00:10:09.668 --> 00:10:13.095
So far, it's been a very pleasant experience.

00:10:14.357 --> 00:10:15.346
And how about you, Victor?

00:10:15.346 --> 00:10:19.225
What was your experience like on the committee and maybe give us a little bit of your background?

00:10:20.690 --> 00:10:23.216
My experience with the committee was very formative.

00:10:23.216 --> 00:10:32.594
I had the opportunity to work, with previous experiences with many city officials and with my current job, and then also as a coach in the community and as a nonprofit director.

00:10:32.594 --> 00:10:47.967
I've had many interactions with the city and so getting that deep dive into the city finances and larger experience of what city departments do and how their funding is sourced gave that insight that a lot of people normally don't get the opportunity to see.

00:10:49.072 --> 00:10:52.687
And Lois tell us a little bit about your background and what you brought to the committee.

00:10:54.351 --> 00:10:59.769
Okay, well, I've lived here 35 years and I'm an elementary school reading intervention teacher.

00:10:59.769 --> 00:11:04.609
I'd never served on a committee like this before.

00:11:04.609 --> 00:11:11.975
I'd served prior committees district parent advisory, school site councils and so this was my very first experience.

00:11:11.975 --> 00:11:13.511
I thought it was very positive.

00:11:13.511 --> 00:11:22.919
I thought that the city officers who dealt the presentations their presentations were very well thought out, very informative.

00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:27.157
They were excellent at providing information, answering questions.

00:11:27.157 --> 00:11:28.831
They didn't know answers to questions.

00:11:28.831 --> 00:11:32.696
They were willing to go above and beyond to get those answers to you.

00:11:32.696 --> 00:11:44.250
So I thought they did a great job with the disclosure and they made the process really pleasant closure and they made the process really pleasant.

00:11:44.270 --> 00:12:07.565
So that process involved a lot of public meetings that you were held and that you were involved in, and the city had that big giant binder that they gave you that kind of outlined what they were going to be discussing and I think it was what six meetings, yeah, six to eight meetings, and they put in a lot of time and had a lot of studying to do to be ready for each meeting and ultimately had a proposal to give to the city council to consider for a possible revenue measure.

00:12:07.565 --> 00:12:17.784
So, victor, can you tell us a little bit about what you discovered at the meetings and maybe a few things that stood out to you in terms of the needs of the city of Hanford?

00:12:19.552 --> 00:12:21.865
that stood out to you in terms of the needs of the city of Hanford.

00:12:24.065 --> 00:12:37.599
You know, one of the biggest things that I came into the Revenue Measure Committee was in a parks perspective, in a youth perspective, and the biggest accomplishment that the Revenue Measure Committee fought for was the need for new money to fund our park repairs and upgrades.

00:12:38.164 --> 00:12:49.051
So if the measure passes, there will be a brand new pot of money that when an equipment breaks or when equipment needs to be upgraded at our current parks, that money is now available.

00:12:49.051 --> 00:12:59.567
We don't have to rely on grants or one-time funding to make that possible, but we'll already have money from the measure to be able to fund new park upgrades, and that's just so key.

00:12:59.567 --> 00:13:00.875
And then the biggest thing too is there's measure to be able to fund new park upgrades, and that's just so key.

00:13:00.875 --> 00:13:03.698
And then the biggest thing too is there's going to be new recreation staff hired.

00:13:03.698 --> 00:13:09.355
There's going to be more park employees hired to be able to maintain those parks, and that's so necessary.

00:13:09.355 --> 00:13:19.428
If you don't like how our parks look right now, think about how many parks the city has, and I believe the city of Hanford has 11 park staff to be able to maintain all the parks.

00:13:20.971 --> 00:13:33.067
So, lois, one of the things that the committee got to do, I understand, is to take a field trip on a cart bus around to various facilities in the city of Hanford and see the condition of things, what stood out?

00:13:33.087 --> 00:13:33.489
to you on that tour.

00:13:33.489 --> 00:13:40.645
Yeah, I think that we got to see a lot of things, you know.

00:13:40.645 --> 00:13:42.091
They took us, they showed us roads they talked about.

00:13:42.091 --> 00:13:48.594
We got to see the state of condition certain roads were in, and then they talked about what if the measure were to pass, what the plan was or the hopes were to improve upon those things.

00:13:48.594 --> 00:14:01.057
But I think the thing that stood out to me the most was when we visited the city police facilities, and so, located in downtown, the buildings are about 50, little between 50, 60 years old.

00:14:01.057 --> 00:14:13.440
The main city building, I think, was built in the late 60s, early 70s and they're honestly running out of room to be able to house the people and do the things that they need to do for a city our size.

00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:17.571
In that process we went into the main building.

00:14:18.111 --> 00:14:33.499
Detective offices, facilities to store evidence, which you have to catalog and store for several years, are actually located in buildings that they had to purchase adjacent to the property, so officers have to walk to and fro to get to certain things.

00:14:33.499 --> 00:14:40.750
One of the buildings happened to have it was the evidence building had some leakage problems that they were working on.

00:14:40.750 --> 00:14:44.894
You don't imagine you have to store all this stuff they had at the time we visited.

00:14:44.894 --> 00:14:47.109
They had one functional holding cell.

00:14:47.109 --> 00:14:51.042
The other holding cell in the building was filled with storage.

00:14:51.042 --> 00:14:59.669
It also had some non-operable things, I think the toilet and things weren't working so they couldn't house people in there as a holding cell.

00:15:00.009 --> 00:15:04.557
The officers share a common area where their computers and their telephones are.

00:15:04.557 --> 00:15:07.129
They're just basically lined up next to each other.

00:15:07.129 --> 00:15:09.274
I don't recall a partition or anything.

00:15:09.274 --> 00:15:15.317
So if they're sitting and doing a report, making phone calls, you're going to hear the officers around you.

00:15:15.317 --> 00:15:25.044
It kind of reminded me of like a call center when you see a call center on TV and you can imagine you're here, they're talking to you and you're kind of hearing what's going on behind you.

00:15:25.326 --> 00:15:33.692
But I think the thing that really was the worst, that just really stood out to me, was the dispatch and the dispatch officers.

00:15:33.692 --> 00:15:39.173
That particular portion is housed in the basement of the building and it's dark.

00:15:39.173 --> 00:15:41.586
There are no windows, it's close quarters.

00:15:41.586 --> 00:15:49.489
So they're in this windowless, close quartered area for their entire shift, which I believe is 12 hours.

00:15:49.489 --> 00:15:52.278
I think they have the same shift as the officers.

00:15:52.278 --> 00:16:01.859
There's not a break room nearby so they can't pop over, grab their snack, their lunch and be close to their desk to get back to their job.

00:16:01.859 --> 00:16:05.272
They're actually eating at their desk, there's no restroom nearby.

00:16:05.272 --> 00:16:20.537
They're walking down a very long corridor to just go use the restroom and in looking at that, I'm thinking this is where the first response to 911 calls is right You're calling 911.

00:16:23.044 --> 00:16:23.346
You're stressed.

00:16:23.346 --> 00:16:24.528
They're managing your stressful situation calmly.

00:16:24.528 --> 00:16:25.931
They're able to help you.

00:16:25.931 --> 00:16:36.523
It's critically important and I think how depressing it was just to think of the crucial job they're doing in this dungeon.

00:16:36.523 --> 00:16:41.745
It just felt like a dungeon and I thought we've got to do better for these people.

00:16:41.745 --> 00:16:44.292
Their job is critically important.

00:16:44.292 --> 00:16:59.528
I mean, of course, our officers are important and our firefighters, but these are the folks that are on the line with you before that help arrives and we're not even giving them a place that's comfortable for them to be able to do their important work in.

00:16:59.528 --> 00:17:01.053
So that really stood out.

00:17:01.053 --> 00:17:02.410
It just seems so wrong.

00:17:04.326 --> 00:17:10.929
One of the biggest things that stood out to me and one of the biggest things I want to talk about is our fire department, the population of our city.

00:17:10.929 --> 00:17:13.476
We should be at six fire stations.

00:17:13.476 --> 00:17:25.152
Right now we currently have three, and so that's kind of scary when you think of big picture of where we're at as a city and there currently is plans for five fire stations.

00:17:25.152 --> 00:17:28.372
But where that goes right now is we have the land for station four.

00:17:28.372 --> 00:17:33.148
There's no money to be able to build the station and then there's no money to staff those firefighters.

00:17:33.148 --> 00:17:45.472
But if measure H passes, we're going to be able to build station four and staff that station within the first 10 years of the funding being received from the measure, and that's huge.

00:17:45.472 --> 00:17:50.230
And so as time goes along, we're going to be able to establish more fire stations.

00:17:50.932 --> 00:18:20.054
Here's the big picture of what I constantly talk about If there's two fires, if there's a fire at Walmart and 10 seconds later my house catches on fire, the fire department because the requirements of how many firefighters need to respond to that big fire at Walmart are not going to be able to save my house, my house will burn down, and that was a real life experience we experienced on 4th of July, when there was a brush fire going on because of illegal fireworks and someone's garage caught on fire.

00:18:20.054 --> 00:18:33.567
Hanford Fire Department was unable to respond in a timely manner because they were focused on the brush fire and from it expanding, and so someone had property damage because our fire department was so strained and there's not enough firefighters.

00:18:35.330 --> 00:18:35.951
Mr Barone.

00:18:35.951 --> 00:18:40.413
So what happens if this doesn't pass in November?

00:18:40.413 --> 00:18:46.338
What do you think is going to happen to the city of Hanford if we don't get that 1% sales tax passed?

00:18:47.859 --> 00:18:50.041
And now the budget is functioning at this point.

00:18:50.041 --> 00:19:14.347
They expressed to us that we're living off of some residual ARPA funding that came through a lot of money that were sent over to the cities during the 2022 high surplus that we had.

00:19:14.347 --> 00:19:28.541
Back in time in California, we had a $97.5 billion surplus yeah, $97.5 billion and now we're in $44.9 billion in deficit.

00:19:28.541 --> 00:19:34.423
So all those funds that were grants, they are going to be drying up.

00:19:34.423 --> 00:19:43.625
So my first question was what is that we can do if there is no tax revenue passed, if it fails?

00:19:43.625 --> 00:19:48.055
The city managers and the city staff that were there.

00:19:48.175 --> 00:20:09.258
They were quick to answer that the plan B is to cast services to the citizens citizens and switch over to a style of reaction instead than the reactive, style of approaching calls from 911 instead than a proactive.

00:20:09.258 --> 00:20:14.873
In simple terms, is they're going to wait for the trouble to happen before they show up.

00:20:14.873 --> 00:20:19.442
That's, ultimately, the only thing that they can do.

00:20:19.442 --> 00:20:24.397
They'll try to do their best, but they're already running thin.

00:20:24.397 --> 00:20:44.393
The city is short several staff I think the staff currently is 64, and we should be well in the 90s and so we're short in several key positions, particularly patrolling and for the police officers.

00:20:44.393 --> 00:20:46.016
We miss squadrons.

00:20:47.901 --> 00:21:04.260
As much as the city has grown, our services have not, and so that's why we hear about a reactive style of policing rather than a proactive, and Chief Huddleston has shared with us about that recently, about the city just cannot handle the calls.

00:21:04.260 --> 00:21:05.903
We're talking response times.

00:21:05.903 --> 00:21:09.777
We're talking effects on homeowner's insurance.

00:21:09.777 --> 00:21:13.044
I asked this question at the panel that they had.

00:21:13.044 --> 00:21:19.112
They had a webinar about the revenue measure and I asked the question how does this affect our insurance rates?

00:21:19.112 --> 00:21:22.980
And Chief Perkins will address that at the next panel on October 7th.

00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:34.083
But it talks about insurance companies have certain rate levels based on your amount of public safety that you have in the community, and because we are so understaffed, we're paying for it already.

00:21:34.083 --> 00:21:37.955
So let's be able to manage that, mr Brani.

00:21:39.018 --> 00:22:03.882
One of the other key aspects through our tour and our analysis of the fire department in particular, brought up the point that we don't have a training facility and because of that we lost a point into our gradings for the insurance evaluations and that's going to cause us to pay more for our fire insurance.

00:22:03.882 --> 00:22:10.502
Ultimately, this will impact the citizen well beyond the 1%.

00:22:10.502 --> 00:22:22.577
We're really talking about a possibility that this can be a life or death situation that will be handled with a different kind of priority compared to what we're used to.

00:22:24.050 --> 00:22:31.098
So we've hit on four of the five topics and, lois, I'd like to ask you about this next one, and it's about code enforcement officers.

00:22:31.098 --> 00:22:40.392
We've had discussions about some of the lots in town that are overgrown or some of the things that aren't being taken care of and become a fire hazard because of that.

00:22:40.392 --> 00:22:45.603
How will the revenue measure address code enforcement, improved code enforcement?

00:22:46.890 --> 00:22:49.074
Well, there's a plan for that as well.

00:22:49.074 --> 00:22:59.019
Again, when we talk about more funding for more employees, then those kinds of concerns can be dealt with in a timely manner.

00:22:59.019 --> 00:23:06.363
You know and I think about code enforcement, I think about gosh in my lifetime really haven't called 911.

00:23:06.363 --> 00:23:12.809
You know, if I think with our family, I can think of one incident we needed our officers for 911.

00:23:13.490 --> 00:23:26.461
However, animal control calling about you know a nearby property with lots of weeds or it's looking unsafe those are the kinds of calls I feel like you know we've made as a family.

00:23:26.461 --> 00:23:32.700
We know we have friends and others that have done in kind, and so it's an important thing.

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:40.259
These are things that need to be addressed and these are also the kinds of things I think that people get angry about.

00:23:40.259 --> 00:24:14.599
Maybe we hear about these in some of our council meetings where you know animal control can't come or there's graffiti and it's not being taken care of, and you know those kinds of things are upsetting to people and with this you know the potential of the revenue passing and having those funds, we'll be able to address more of those things in a timely fashion and, in some ways, maybe prevent it, you know, if it's continually wiping that graffiti away or covering it over, maybe they'll get discouraged and not do it in that part of town.

00:24:16.050 --> 00:24:19.509
Victor I'd like to address as we begin to wrap things up here.

00:24:19.509 --> 00:24:23.993
I'd like to address the issue of education on the event.

00:24:23.993 --> 00:24:30.199
As part of the education process for the revenue measure, the city is going to be holding two more meetings.

00:24:30.199 --> 00:24:34.061
One is an in-person meeting on September 12th.

00:24:34.061 --> 00:24:39.467
You can read the press release about the time and location for that September 12th meeting.

00:24:39.467 --> 00:24:59.337
They're also going to have another one on Zoom on October 7th and my understanding is Fire Chief Daniel Perkins is going to be a part of that one, as Chief Huddleston of the Police Department was a part of the first one back on August 21st and if you haven't seen the first one, it's on YouTube, it's also linked on the city website.

00:24:59.337 --> 00:25:00.631
Haven't seen the first one?

00:25:00.631 --> 00:25:12.971
It's on YouTube, it's also linked on the city website, but you can actually go back and watch the format of the presentation by city manager Mario Cifuentes and then Brian Johnson, the communications director, and chief Huddleston were answering questions as it went along.

00:25:13.512 --> 00:25:23.246
So we lean so much on social media for our information, and the Hanford Insider podcast is part of social media.

00:25:23.246 --> 00:25:43.740
I mean, podcasting is definitely a part of that and one of the goals of this show is to provide as much information as we can to the public, because oftentimes, on platforms such as Facebook or some of the other ones you hear about, people will just paste information that they think is correct, but they may not have the background information to back it up.

00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:46.477
So, victor, how do you think we can combat that?

00:25:46.477 --> 00:25:52.762
As citizens of Hanford, how can we ensure that the citizens are getting the most clear and concise information and accurate information?

00:25:54.290 --> 00:26:02.140
You know, I think the city is doing a wonderful job on their education campaign, but that's all it can be is an education campaign by law.

00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:15.505
So what I've done and I've partnered with a couple of people we've formed the yes on Measure H committee because we want to spread why this measure is so necessary for the community, why this sales tax is so needed.

00:26:15.505 --> 00:26:16.365
And I get it.

00:26:16.365 --> 00:26:23.780
No one likes new taxes, no one likes paying more at the store, but at the end of the day it's going to help Hanford, it's going to help the future.

00:26:23.780 --> 00:26:29.603
And it's not about today, it's not about yesterday, it's what we can do for our community forever.

00:26:30.789 --> 00:26:32.294
So let's wrap this up with you, Victor.

00:26:32.294 --> 00:26:35.082
What would you like the community to know about Measure H?

00:26:36.891 --> 00:26:51.644
I know that there's going to be the scary things coming out of, like what happens if the measure doesn't pass us, and a lot of those things are true, but the best message I can give is what do you want Hanford to be?

00:26:51.644 --> 00:26:57.542
Do you want Hanford to be the home for you and your family and future generations?

00:26:57.542 --> 00:27:05.962
Then we need the resources to be able to make that happen, and this sales tax and this time is necessary to make it a reality.

00:27:07.730 --> 00:27:12.441
I think it comes down to a couple things, and number one is pride of ownership.

00:27:12.441 --> 00:27:15.693
Right, we take pride in our home.

00:27:15.693 --> 00:27:19.561
We take care of things, and this is part of taking care of our community.

00:27:19.561 --> 00:27:23.289
Our home, we take care of things and this is part of taking care of our community.

00:27:23.289 --> 00:27:30.054
The responsibility for that falls on us, and I don't love more taxes.

00:27:30.054 --> 00:27:30.996
I don't love the idea of paying more.

00:27:30.996 --> 00:27:38.090
You know how much I love a bargain and how I love to save money wherever I can, but in this instance, we have to move forward.

00:27:38.771 --> 00:27:49.236
I think another thing I would really like people to consider is before you make a decision, please research, look at everything.

00:27:49.236 --> 00:27:58.119
The committee worked hard to put this together and really didn't make a thoughtful recommendation to the council on how to proceed with this.

00:27:58.119 --> 00:28:02.741
It was very thoughtfully put out and it's important.

00:28:02.741 --> 00:28:08.423
So I think before you launch on social media, you just automatically make a yes, no decision.

00:28:08.423 --> 00:28:13.946
Look at everything, really look at it and consider it and really do that.

00:28:13.946 --> 00:28:18.388
With what kind of community do I want to live in in mind?

00:28:20.311 --> 00:28:21.237
How about you, Andrea?

00:28:21.237 --> 00:28:23.999
What would you like the community to know about Measure H?

00:28:25.671 --> 00:28:31.303
Well, I want to share how I got in here and why I did this.

00:28:31.303 --> 00:28:45.480
I got tired of listening to people telling me how things are and I just decided to see if I can go find it myself, and I was provided the answers that I was looking for.

00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:47.169
I don't like taxes.

00:28:47.169 --> 00:28:59.323
I don't enjoy asking for more money to the citizen, but I put myself in the shoes of the people that need to provide a service.

00:28:59.323 --> 00:29:06.683
If they cannot provide the service, the first people to feel the service are going to be the citizens.

00:29:06.683 --> 00:29:13.182
Ultimately, it is in their best interest to vote for this.

00:29:13.182 --> 00:29:16.134
I'm not a politician.

00:29:16.134 --> 00:29:20.803
I have zero political expectations.

00:29:21.483 --> 00:29:23.817
I work as an IT.

00:29:23.817 --> 00:29:27.852
I work in IT for the local county office of education.

00:29:27.852 --> 00:29:32.838
I'm in my mid-40s and I'm doing fine.

00:29:32.838 --> 00:29:36.714
I have no interest whatsoever to support one candidate against another.

00:29:36.714 --> 00:30:14.529
My main interest is to provide the best I can, the best suggestion I can, to the citizens of Amford and, after more than 20 hours spent asking every single possible question to the city, to all the chiefs, we came to the conclusion unanimously almost unanimously that the best is to put this on the ballot and allow people to decide.

00:30:15.050 --> 00:30:25.816
We did not put any demand on this because we felt pretty good that the city was going to do the right thing, and I think they're going to.

00:30:25.816 --> 00:30:31.742
When I saw the final draft of the measure, it really reflected our suggestions.

00:30:31.742 --> 00:30:38.755
Ultimately, we didn't tell the city chief, the fire chief, what they should do, how many people they should hire.

00:30:38.755 --> 00:30:39.595
They came to us.

00:30:39.595 --> 00:30:41.936
They told what they should do, how many people they should hire.

00:30:41.936 --> 00:30:42.297
They came to us.

00:30:42.297 --> 00:30:43.298
They told us what they need.

00:30:43.298 --> 00:30:46.279
We didn't give them our opinion.

00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.382
You shouldn't spend the money on this truck.

00:30:48.382 --> 00:30:49.501
You should buy that truck.

00:30:49.501 --> 00:30:51.002
They know what is best for them.

00:30:51.002 --> 00:31:08.013
Our role is to provide the fund, or at least help them providing their fund, and that's what we ended up doing.

00:31:08.013 --> 00:31:11.339
And most of people stepped in that room the first day with a mindset of saying no.

00:31:11.339 --> 00:31:15.346
And I can tell you we had a lot of changes, and one of those changes was me.

00:31:15.346 --> 00:31:16.327
I didn't want to vote for it.

00:31:16.327 --> 00:31:17.349
I didn't like the idea.

00:31:17.349 --> 00:31:23.884
But when I see what is coming, if we don't pass this, this is going to be really the best option that we have for the citizens of Hanford.

00:31:25.132 --> 00:31:28.958
Well, thank you, andrea, and thank you Victor and Lois for joining us.

00:31:28.958 --> 00:31:34.517
It's been a very interesting and enlightening time together.

00:31:34.517 --> 00:31:41.592
Any additional information regarding the tax revenue measure H, you can go to the City of Hanford website.

00:31:41.592 --> 00:31:50.496
It's cityofhanfordcacom and they have an entire report of everything that was discussed at the meetings all of the need.

00:31:50.496 --> 00:31:52.098
It's very comprehensive.

00:31:52.098 --> 00:32:03.319
So, as Lois suggested, make sure you educate yourself and read the entire script, not just what you see on social media or what your friends, your group of friends, are saying about things.

00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:05.699
Actually go in and research it.

00:32:05.699 --> 00:32:12.977
And we all agree on one thing, and that is that we want a better Hanford for us, for our children and our families.

00:32:12.977 --> 00:32:17.181
So again, thank you all for coming on the show and we wish you the best.

00:32:17.181 --> 00:32:19.311
Thank you very much.

00:32:34.782 --> 00:32:37.390
And now it's time for Hanford Insider Sports, with Eric Bentley.

00:32:37.390 --> 00:32:42.643
Hanford High took to the road again, this time to face Sanger, and the Bullpups continued to prove that they are a team to be reckoned with in the Central section.

00:32:42.643 --> 00:32:54.125
After trading touchdowns all of the first half with the Apaches, hanford scored with less than a minute to go and elected to go for two, to take a 29-28 lead into the half.

00:32:54.125 --> 00:33:05.103
That was a lead that would not be relinquished, thanks in large part to the Bullpups' defense and special teams who tallied two interceptions, stopped a two-point conversion and blocked a kick.

00:33:05.103 --> 00:33:11.042
In the second half, the offense tacked on a few more scores en route to the 50-34 victory.

00:33:11.042 --> 00:33:18.439
Quarterback Daniel Gomez accounted for all seven Bullpups touchdowns, throwing for five and rushing for two.

00:33:19.161 --> 00:33:27.002
The 2-0 bullpups continue their four-game road start to the season this week, traveling to Santa Maria on Friday to take on St Joseph.

00:33:27.002 --> 00:33:33.082
Hanford West suited up on Friday, looking for their first win of the season as they hosted Corcoran.

00:33:33.082 --> 00:33:38.978
Unfortunately, the Huskies weren't able to find enough offense, falling 35-13.

00:33:38.978 --> 00:33:56.721
The Huskies will hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to take on Woodlake and coming off of a heartbreaking defeat to start the season Sierra Pacific was unable to bounce back on the road last week as Bakersfield got the better of the Golden Bears 26-17.

00:33:56.721 --> 00:34:03.972
Sierra Pacific will look for their first win of the 2024 season this week when they host Corcoran on Friday.

00:34:03.972 --> 00:34:15.001
As always, we'd like to cover as many local sports as possible, so if you have a score report or a story idea, make sure to email hanfordinsider at gmailcom.

00:34:15.001 --> 00:34:19.641
I'm Eric Bentley and this has been your Hanford Insider Sports Report.

00:34:26.990 --> 00:34:28.958
Well, that's all the time we have for this week's show.

00:34:28.958 --> 00:34:36.893
Join me next week when I catch up with Brad Albert from the City of Hanford Parks and Community Services Department to talk about some of the upcoming events.

00:34:36.893 --> 00:34:39.976
To talk about some of the upcoming events.

00:34:39.976 --> 00:34:40.856
To sign up for updates.

00:34:40.856 --> 00:34:44.398
You'll also get an exclusive copy of my newsletter in your inbox each week.

00:34:44.398 --> 00:35:05.679
You can send me feedback by voicemail through the website by clicking the microphone icon.

00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:06.481
I'd love to hear from you.

00:35:06.481 --> 00:35:08.817
Your comments may even be shared on the show.

00:35:08.817 --> 00:35:16.817
I also need your help getting the word out about the show by liking and sharing on social media or telling a friend For more information about the show.

00:35:16.817 --> 00:35:22.235
You can find this podcast on Facebook, instagram, threads X and YouTube at Hanford Insider.

00:35:22.235 --> 00:35:28.396
If you have a show idea, be sure to email me at hanfordinsider at gmailcom and I'll look into it.

00:35:28.396 --> 00:35:29.980
Thanks for listening.

00:35:29.980 --> 00:35:48.548
Stay cool in this warm weather and have a great week you.

Hanford Insider: A Deep Dive into the Tax Revenue Measure on the ballot

Listen On

Recent Episodes