The following is a monthly letter written by Mendocino County’s 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak to constituents:
With the election over, I want to thank the people of the 3rd District for re-electing me as your supervisor on the Mendocino County Board. It is truly an honor to be a public servant in such a beautiful part of the world and to such great people.
As I said in the campaign, we need to work on the economy, safer communities, and a more transparent and better functioning county government. Together we can make progress on all fronts.
Before the board this week, there is discussion on a sales tax. The decision has probably already been made. Supervisor Gjerde and I proposed limiting the tax to a quarter cent which would not be an overall increase. This would be up to the voters to decide in November. Ninety percent of the revenues would go to local fire departments. The other 10 percent would go for fire prevention, resiliency, and readiness. The tax would finance programs such as community chipping services, defensible-space assistance, and home-hardening assistance.
As our three-year drought continues on, a group has been working on the regulation of private wells extracting groundwater to sell. I have been working on this with Supervisor McGourty for about a year.
Together we are proposing to protect our valuable water resources. When someone drills a well and pumps water to fill up a water truck that then hauls and sells the water to oftentimes illegal cannabis grows way out in the hills, this can leave neighbors without water for health and safety. There need to be regulations in place in order to mitigate the immediate and long-term consequences. We have proposed an ordinance that will require oversight on these operations and compliance to ensure sustainability.
Thank you again for your confidence in me and please reach out to me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.org or 707-972-4214.
John
Here’s a solution to the selling of private water well issue… Hire someone to handle the permits. Both positions in Land use at Environmental Health have been vacant, and not opened for hire for over half a year. They need a third position and have zero employees. Do the supervisors understand what EH does for the county? Why have they never been asked to be part of the groundwater group if they have been responsible for groundwater permits this whole time? Less talk, more action!
Why is the first option is to tax the people . Don’t you think we’re paying enough taxes already. there has to be other options. But that would require work.
They would only tax those selling from private wells not those using it on site. this would be to protect neighbors form running out of water. Of course knowing Big Government it would only be a matter of time before you were taxed for personal use as well. So your comment has validity
Will the sales tax be mandated for fire,ie 2/3rds vote or simple majority??? Simple majority means $$ get put in the general fund and potentially can be spent for other things. If simple majority, my vote is NO!
This would be a majority vote with a tag-along measure for fire use. It is the typical workaround for tax issues to skirt the State constitutionally required 2/3rds vote for tax additions. If the measure passes the revenue would go into the general fund with a “promise” that it would be applied to fire prevention. To me this measure is about one sales tax finally sunsetting (Measure B, though not all the way) and the Supes wanting to retain the revenue source. Fire prevention is already funded by property taxes, tax bonds, extra levies, and grants. I also say why should we pay more in taxes when what we need is a tax break. Voting No on this sales tax grab.
So what you’re telling me is I can sell the water from my water tanks that I don’t use?? What does the average person charge for someone to come take their water?