This a a place to DISCOVER, EXPLORE, and LEARN THE FACTS about Measure 15-214.

Please explore the menus to read and follow links to get more information to help you make sense of the issues involved and make an informed decision.

Among many other things, you will learn:

  • How and why a NO vote will actually help to SAVE OUR PARKS rather than continue their ongoing degradation.
  • How and why the proponents want to extend the Food and Beverage tax for an additional TEN years, to not expire for a total of SEVENTEEN MORE YEARS, until 2040.
  • How this measure will actually have the opposite effect of what the proponents claim. This measure will ultimately reduce the funds available for parks maintenance by making more available for capital expenses and pet projects that will decimate the parks budget.
  • Another way this measure will actually have the opposite effect of what the proponents claim: it will NOT “free up $2M in the general fund”. In fact it will make less money ultimately available in the general fund. See “the budget” for a detailed explanation.
  • Why new capital projects will be unable to be maintained without additional infusions of tax dollars toward parks maintenance.
  • How APRC and city staff are telling outright falsehoods regarding the city finances and the effects of this measure.
  • How this measure is actually a backdoor method to get control of funds that could be manipulated by three votes at APRC and four votes on city council to approve major projects without the consent of the taxpayers.
  • How some of the claims made about the measure are mathematically impossible.
  • The true motivations leading to the presentation of this measure.
  • Why this measure was presented at a spring, off-year, special election with inadequate time for the voters to learn about, debate, and consider the ramifications of this measure.
  • How this measure is an attempt to sidestep future Citizen Budget Committees and City Council budgetary decisions by DEDICATING certain funds to a APRC.
  • Why the proponents have no coherent arguments to support the measure.
  • Why the proponents are reduced to ad hominem attacks on opponents of the measure.
  • Why the proponents suggest that the voters should not consider the issues, but instead vote the way their friends are voting.
  • What bad advice it is to simply “trust your leaders”, when we KNOW how that has historically turned out, locally and nationally.
  • How important it is for you to educate yourself, consider the ramifications, and VOTE NO!