Why This Election is Important

By Carol Churchill

Build Revenues before Building More Houses

Signal Hill has been living off of grants to provide many of its basic services. The Redevelopment Agency was used to build houses, NOT revenues for 10 years.

A new policy must be implimented to shift from house building to revenue building before the Redevelopment Agency expires in 10 years.

Signal Hill will loose millions and millions of dollars in "tax increment" in 10 years which money is used to bring sales tax generating businesses to town.
From the late 1970s until 1990, when the encumbents started the house building program, tax increment was used to build revenues: the auto mall, the Home Depot, Petsmart, Costco, Town Center. These business brought in millions of dollars in sales tax revenues,..that support this city today.
Signal Hill's general fund receives 80% of its revenue from "sales tax",..NOT PROPERTY TAXES...which account for only 2% of the general fund.
When the Redevelopment Agency expires in about 10 years, "tax increment" will also expire. Signal Hill will lose its ability to bring in big sales tax generating businesses and will have to then rely on small business development that does not produce sufficient revenues to cover the cost of a 25%-40% growth in population.
MY PLAN. The next 10 years must be committed to building revenues using the remaining Redevelopment Agency to seek and support sales tax generation....not housing.
Many of the current council and their appointed planning commissioner are real estate agents who make a living selling the houses, so there is a conflict of interest between their personal financial success and that of the cities....years down the line.
I am asking for you to vote for a new majority: Churchill, Long and Dare...so we can bring a new policy to the leadership of the city.
Carol Churchill