A few months ago the Lompoc City Council stopped the disastrous John Linn-sponsored racetrack in the middle of town. But today, the council is faced with another challenge with the approval of the bi-yearly budget. This budget is unusual because it has to accommodate a state-mandated bill of $70 million to cover costs in the State CalPERS retirement system of which the city employees are a part. The city pays into the retirement every month, but this is a new draconian mandate by the state. Without this mandate the city would have a balanced budget with their present income.
The same city council members that promoted the racetrack are the culprits in the delay of the new budget. The budget was to be approved by June 31, 2017, but it has been delayed and distorted by the antics of Jim Mosby, Dirk Starbuck, and Victor Vega, who refuse to accept the recommendations of the professional city manager, Patrick Wiemiller, Mayor Bob Lingl, and Councilmember Jenelle Osborne. The city has been running on a “Continuing Resolution” since then.
The choices the city has are to pay the $70 million and totally depress city services for 10 years or have the Lompoc citizens vote for a one percent sales tax in November 2018 to pay for the mandated state bill.
The “Mosby/Linn Triad” knows nothing about city management or budgets, but because they were elected councilmembers, they think they do, and don’t understand the damage they are doing to the city by delaying the budget decision. It appears they are taking their directions from a shadow government run by John Linn. Their potential plan is to lay off up to 50 employees and restrict all city services for 10 years rather than support a one percent sales tax increase which would be rescinded after the mandated $70 million was paid by the city. The employees that might be laid off are our neighbors and taxpaying residents. They are not overly paid, but receive the lowest of incomes of city employees of 10 other similar cities. The antics of the Mosby, Starbuck, and Vega has a grand jury investigating Lompoc again as it has in the past when Linn and his buddies were involved in past issues.
The citizens of Lompoc should be given a chance to review their options and make a decision on this issue by a vote in November 2018, but it can only be done if the “Mosby/Linn Triad” will agree to approve the city manager’s budget and put the 1 percent sales tax on the ballot. We have to speak up now to get this done, otherwise we will all lose our experienced, dedicated employees and very good city services for 10 years.
This article appears in Aug 17-24, 2017.