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Submitted On: <br />Jun 18, 2024, 07:55AM PDT <br />City Council Regular Meeting - <br />Submit your written public <br />comment <br />City of Pleasanton <br />Full Name First Name: David <br />Last Name: Ott <br />Email (this entry is disclosable <br />if included)daott@sbcglobal.net <br />City Council Meeting Date June 18, 2024 <br />Meeting Type Regular Meeting at 7 PM <br />Agenda Item Number 20 <br />Comments To the city council, <br />I am writing to you today because I will be unable to attend tonight’s <br />city council meeting in person. As I have mentioned to you previously <br />in person and in e-mail, I am opposed to the city implementing a <br />permanent half cent sales tax to make up for the temporary budget <br />shortfall. The city should live within your means and be fiscally <br />responsible. The first step is to place a hold on some of the capital <br />improvement projects and also look within each city department to <br />remove wasteful, excessive and unnecessary spending to make up <br />the budget shortfall. When the economy recovers and the normal tax <br />base returns, the city can move forward with the improvement <br />projects. Please remember that an increase to the sales tax is <br />permanent, as in forever, and it would be far better to place a few of <br />the capital improvement projects on hold temporarily than to raise <br />our taxes permanently. People are leaving California in the hundreds <br />of thousands every year because of the high taxes and high cost of <br />living. Taxes have consequences. I am confused as to why you <br />refuse to explore this common sense approach of placing a hold on <br />some of the capital improvement projects. Instead you are using <br />scare tactics that you will have to reduce public safety services such <br />as the police and fire departments, school crossing guards and road <br />maintenance, and other quality of life services such as the water <br />distribution system, parks and the library. Stop the fearful rhetoric <br />and place a hold on some of the capital improvement projects, <br />reduce the budget shortfall and prevent the tax increase. As leaders <br />of our city your job is to be fiscally responsible and to make the <br />sensible financial decisions. I urge you to live within your means and <br />do not raise our taxes. Thank you. <br />David Ott <br />36 years Pleasanton Resident