Vote Yes on Elk Grove Measure E sales tax increase
This November Elk Grove residents will be voting on a proposed 1% sales tax increase. As a lifelong resident of Elk Grove for almost 60 years, I support Measure E. While it is never a good time to raise taxes and in California, we have seen that our taxes are not always used for the intended purpose, I think it is necessary to maintain our public safety and our quality of life. I also feel that we can make sure the money is spent where we want it to be spent.
Elk Grove is still a relatively safe place to live. While the city of Sacramento has seen an increase in homicides and gun violence in the past two years, Elk Grove has managed to keep crime under control for the most part.
In 2021 violent crime went up by 12%. Property crime went by 4%. Burglary was down by 27% and robberies were down by 10%.
In comparison to other cities in our area, Elk Grove has the lowest ratio of officers to 1000 residents. Most departments try to have 1 officer per 1000 people. This is how Elk Grove compares to our neighboring cities
- Elk Grove .86
- Roseville .87
- Folsom 1.0
- Rocklin 1.0
- West Sac 1.3
- Galt 1.3
- Sacramento 1.4
Measure E would help fund more officers on the street and increase public safety. Crime does not respect borders, but criminals are aware of which cities are more proactive in fighting crime. Elk Grove has that reputation.
Measure E would do more than just add more officers. It would also help improve 911 services and reduce the response time for all emergency responders including fire and medical. It would help repair and remodel some of our older parks.
- Reduce crime
- Support rapid 9-1-1, fire, police, medical emergency/disaster response
- Keep public areas safe and clean
- Address homelessness
- Maintain parks and streets, fix potholes, and improve traffic congestion
- Prevent youth gang violence and crime
- Attract and retain local businesses and jobs
What separates Measure E from other tax measures is that local residents have control over how it is spent. We have no control over how the state spends gas taxes. We do have control over local funding. Measure E would set up an Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee that would help the city decide where to spend the money. There would also be audits and public disclosures. This money would stay here in Elk Grove. It would not go to the state. We can hold our elected officials accountable to spend money on what we want and need.
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