|
August
2008 | Editorial
This
week the City
of Del Mar is
distributing a
ballot package
by mail to all
Del Mar property
owners and water
customers. On
this ballot are
two important
questions. The
first question
asks for a yes
or no vote to
ratify the City's
clean-water charge
that appeared
on all water bills
beginning in 2004.
The second question
asks for a yes
or no vote to
increase the amount
of the clean water
charge, beginning
July, 2009. We
urge you to vote
YES on both questions
and to return
the completed
ballots by the
September 15 deadline.
Every vote will
count in this
election.
A
vote YES on both
ballot questions
is a vote for
clean water and
a balanced City
budget.
Why
is this mailed
ballot election
necessary? Simply,
the first ballot
question arises
because of uncertainty
over procedural
requirements for
new or increased
fees and charges
under Proposition
218 approved by
California voters
in 1996. The City
of Del Mar followed
the widely held
interpretation
of these procedures
in 2003 with its
first clean-water
charge. But a
2006 decision
by the California
Supreme Court
overruled that
interpretation,
thus necessitating
this mailed ballot
election to ratify
the City's earlier
action.
The
second ballot
question arises
because of increasing
requirements imposed
by the State,
acting under the
federal Clean
Water Act, on
ALL local governments.
Under these new
requirements,
local governments
must take further
steps to reduce
pollution into
our streams, lagoons
and beaches from
storm drain runoff.
The
City has no
choice but to
comply with
the State's
unfunded mandate.
But doing so
will substantially
increase the
program costs – by
an estimated $100,000
annually – not
including indirect
overhead costs.
Voting no on this
question will
not mean Del Mar
can avoid these
additional costs – the
money will have
to come from
other thinly stretched
programs and
services. We believe
the proposed 2009
increase in the
clean-water charge
is both reasonable
and necessary.
(The
federal Clean
Water Act,
first approved
by Congress
in 1972, has
succeeded in
cleaning up
our lakes, rivers
and streams.
Initially, the
program required
point source
polluters – factories,
businesses and
sewer plants – to
stop discharging
polluting materials
into the nation's
waterways and
to start using “best
practices” to
prevent further
pollution. Additionally
municipal storm
drain systems
carry storm water
and irrigation
runoff containing
major pollutants
from our streets
and homes to
our beaches and
lagoons. In 1987,
Congress mandated
local governments
to begin reducing
storm drain pollution
- but did not
provide financial
assistance.)
The
federal and State
governments contend
it is local government's
responsibility
to clean up its
own (municipal
storm drain) act.
We believe Del
Mar's clean-water
charge is a fair
price to pay for
reducing pollution
runoff from our
streets and homes.
© 2007-08
Del Mar Community
Alliance, Inc. All
rights reserved. |
