Thank you to all of Chula Vista for your overwhelming support of Measure P. I am grateful for your support and your trust. This half-penny sales tax will help us repair streets and sidewalks, re-build three fire stations, purchase needed fire engines and ladder trucks, replace an outdated 9-1-1 emergency dispatch system, and fix our athletic fields and recreation centers.
As promised, this temporary sales tax increase will be placed in its own, separate line item in our budget. This way, everyone can clearly see how much money was raised and how it is spent. I fully expect City staff to comply with the requirement of a detailed expenditure plan within 30 days.
I also would like to have the special Citizens Oversight Committee that will review and report to the public how the money is spent, appointed as soon as possible. If you are interested in serving on the Oversight Committee, please contact me and we will keep you informed about the application process.
I am grateful for the support of Police Chief David Bejarano, Fire Chief Jim Geering, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, the Chula Vista Police Officers Association, the Chula Vista Employees Association, the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, our youth sports teams and coaches, and all of our donors and contributors for their support of Measure P. I also want to thank City staff and the citizens that served on the Asset Management Project Advisory Committee for their hard work in identifying our critical infrastructure needs and paving the way for Measure P. I expect that Measure P will improve the appearance of our city and encourage economic growth and lead to a safer, stronger, better Chula Vista.
Casillas Salas is the mayor of Chula Vista.