Facing stagnant police and fire personnel, increasing demand for emergency medical services and failing fire stations, Gilroy has resorted to a quarter-cent tax measure to bolster public safety in town.
While some say a tax increase could be counterproductive, most local leaders and emergency responders say the tax can be critical to town's safety. Still, the measure must win two-thirds of the vote to pass, representing a high threshold of acceptance for Gilroy's electorate.
“This tax literally has a chance to save lives in this community… (It) would make us a viable Gilroy,” said Steven Hayes, president of the Gilroy Firefighters Association. “This is literally an emergency tax.”
According to town, the variety of firefighters and law enforcement officials has remained almost unchanged over the past decade. Meanwhile, town has grown by about 15 percent, and Gilroy firefighters are responding to 77 percent more calls than in 2012. That number is exacerbated by Santa Clara County's ongoing paramedic shortage, which at times forces firefighters to spend helpful time with the Waiting for an ambulance City employees responded to a call.
Given the expansion, town expects to rent 15 law enforcement officials, 17 firefighters and construct one other fire station. Additionally, two of the present fire stations should be upgraded to be secure within the event of an earthquake. An evaluation concludes that fireside stations on a fireplace truck could collapse, leaving firefighters there unable to answer an emergency, based on former Fire Chief Jim Wyatt.
The proposed ballot measure, approved at a June council meeting, would increase the local sales tax to 9.375%, with exemptions for groceries and pharmaceuticals. The tax would apply to transactions that occur in Gilroy and would come with items shipped into town. A seven-member oversight committee could be appointed by City Council members to make sure funds were properly spent, and the funds could be subject to an annual audit of how taxes were collected and spent.
City staff estimate the hassle could generate between $4.1 million and $4.7 million annually for workers, infrastructure and equipment, with about half of that cash expected to return from buyers who live outside town.
Although the cash isn't enough to deal with staffing shortages, police and fire departments say the expected influx of funds might be life-saving for Gilroy residents.
While firefighters should ideally reply to emergency calls inside 7 minutes and 30 seconds to make sure survivability during medical operations, Hayes said there are “times every day when response times are over 11 minutes.” By adding staff to the fourth fire station — a converted recreation constructing that currently only employs part-time staff — the cash could reduce response times across town.
“We overextended ourselves,” Wyatt said. “We want to achieve this (response time), but we don’t have the resources to achieve this.”
For law enforcement officials, the extra funding could help the department keep pace with town's growth, said Mario Rodriguez, president of the Gilroy Police Officers Association, who noted that an emergency similar to a stabbing takes up the entire city's available law enforcement officials and will force police to maintain up with city growth The city relies on the California Highway Patrol to answer calls.
Still, some are skeptical that the tax will solve the issue, arguing that the increased taxes would backfire on town. Mark Hinkle, president of Silicon Valley Taxpayers, claimed in an official argument against the ballot measure that the measure would “sabotage our recovering economy” by discouraging spending in Gilroy.
City Council member Dion Bracco, who owns a towing company, worries the tax could drive businesses — and the tax revenue they already usher in — elsewhere. “We have a lot of stores in Gilroy that spend a lot of money on big-ticket items…It might be a quarter of a dime, but when you buy something for $500,000, it adds up,” Bracco said. (The tax increase would add a further $1,250 to the $500,000 purchase price.)
In nearby Hollister and Morgan Hill, the sales tax rate is 9.250% and 9.125%, respectively.
Ultimately, nonetheless, the measure rests within the hands of voters, who must weigh whether the rise in costs is price a possible increase in public safety and judge whether the measure receives a two-thirds majority.
“Who desires to pay extra money? The Bay Area is already the most costly place to live within the U.S., right?” said Alicia Hernandez of Gilroy, who attended a forum on the tax measure. “I used to be hesitant, but … I’ll support it simply because I do know the people behind these jobs, they’re putting their lives in danger they usually must have secure facilities in the event that they wish to protect us.”
Originally published:
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