If Measure C fails in November, Santa Maria will have to lay off city employees in January, Councilman Richard Batalla told voters at an Oct. 1 Santa Maria City Council candidate forum at Allan Hancock College.
The tax measure ran through nearly every answer at the forum, which the League of Women Voters North Santa Barbara County hosted at the Sandy Boyd Concert Hall ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Measure C would raise the city’s sales tax from 8.75% to 9.25%. The City Council voted June 19 to put the half-cent increase on the ballot. The city estimates it would generate about $13 million a year for roads, parks, the library, the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center and recreation programs, with an independent citizens oversight committee. Groceries, diapers and prescription medications would not be taxed.
In District 1, Batalla is running against Celest Mendoza, who at 27 would be the youngest person to sit on the council if elected, and Gary Michaels. The seat is open after Carlos Escobedo stepped down earlier this year.
In District 3, Councilwoman Gloria Soto faces Corby Poulis Sr. In District 4, Vincent Martinez gave an opening statement and was excused from the questions, and Tyler Barksdale was unable to attend.
Batalla said he supports passing the measure but understands why residents are upset. He put the blame on city leaders.
“Boy, did I walk into a mess in May,” Batalla said. He said department heads were meeting on the budget quarterly when he joined the council and now meet monthly. “If you’re not transparent with the money, you’re going to be in the hole.”
Michaels was the sharpest skeptic. He said voters were told Measure U would secure public safety, and that the council then “felt free to aggressively overspend general funding dollars on structural labor,” creating a $25.1 million structural deficit. He said Measure C is a general tax, so the money could be absorbed by rising pension costs once it reaches the general fund, regardless of the oversight promised.
He also noted that Santa Maria brings in $563 per resident, compared with $1,271 in Santa Barbara, and said a tax increase can’t close that gap.
“You cannot tax a working-class agricultural valley into becoming a luxury coastal tourism hub like Santa Barbara,” Michaels said.
Poulis disagreed, saying the measure is part of the city’s recovery.
“I don’t believe that the Measure C tax is a bailout,” Poulis said. He said the money would stay in Santa Maria, out of reach of the state and county.
On public safety, Poulis said it should be a given.
“You would think that when you go somewhere and you buy your home that you would already expect there to be public safety,” Poulis said. “It feels to me like you buy a car and then the salesperson asks you if you want a steering wheel with it.”
Mendoza, who grew up in District 1 and still lives in the house where she was born, said the issue is personal for her.
“It’s no secret that District 1 does have a lot of issues when it comes to that,” Mendoza said. “A couple months ago, there was actually a drive-by shooting two houses down from my house.”
She said police and firefighters need to be funded and trained well, and supported with fair wages. She said prevention should mean the city being proactive for its residents.
“It’s being proactive about them rather than reacting to problems that do occur,” Mendoza said.
The forum’s sharpest divide came over ICE, which the audience asked about directly. Soto said local governments can do more.
“I believe ICE should be out of the 805,” Soto said. She said she pushed last summer for an ad hoc immigration committee that her council colleagues did not support, and that she then worked with the California Immigrant Policy Center to help secure state funding for immigrant legal defense.
Batalla was blunt about ICE but said the city’s power is limited.
“It’s not okay what ICE is doing, picking up these people, kidnapping them like the cartel,” Batalla said. “But at the end of the day, they’re federal.” He said he would connect residents with resources but would not break the law.
Poulis said the city should work with local law enforcement toward a system that is “more clear, more expedited, more transparent,” but not confront federal authorities.
The closing statements turned personal. Michaels named both of his opponents.
“If you want the status quo, you can vote for my opponent, Richard Batalla, who is appointed by the current administration, heavily backed by the labor unions,” Michaels said. “You can vote for Celest Mendoza, who answers to her own coalition of special interests.”
Batalla answered directly.
“Gary, you came in hot today, man,” Batalla said. “Now that you talk about my endorsements, Gary, let me introduce them to you. I’ve been privileged to be endorsed by the fire and the police.”
He went on to list several labor unions. “So that’s our hardworking people and people that are keeping us safe,” he said.
“I’m not doing it for a title, and I sure ain’t doing it for the pay,” Batalla said. “It ain’t worth it. But again, if you want people to sit behind a desk and look at the beautiful little sign, then don’t pick me.”
