By Kevin Johnson
Mayor of Sacramento
Tomorrow voters head to the polls, and one of the more challenging issues Sacramentans will face is Measure B, an initiative to roll back recent increases in utility rates.
My decision on this issue was not an easy one. I studied the issue closely, and convened several meetings with advocates on either side to weigh the merits of their respective arguments.
On one hand, citizens have every right to be upset with recent increases in utility rates. A double-digit rate increase in the past two years – during the worst economic recession in several decades – has put undue hardship on citizens, particularly low-income families and seniors.
Moreover, our Utilities Department has not demonstrated the kind of accountability, efficiency and transparency taxpayers deserve. When I ran for Mayor, there were many examples of waste and abuse in the department. Two years later, I cannot say these problems have been fixed – despite my many calls for a top-to-bottom audit of the department.
On the other hand, as Mayor, I must ultimately look at the big picture. Public safety is the top priority of both the city and my Administration. Cuts in revenues from utility fees could lead to reduced resources for our cops and firefighters. And this is a risk we cannot afford to take. We can’t make it harder to balance the budget when we are trying to put more cops on the beat and keep fire stations open.
As a result, I reluctantly oppose Measure B.
However, we must use the momentum of Measure B to demand immediate reform within the Utilities Department. We need a full, external audit that scrutinizes each and every line of the department budget. We need real consequences for overspending. Above all, we need a wholesale change in culture. We cannot continue to ask citizens for more dollars when we don’t use the ones we already have efficiently. Our city deserves far better.
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