Commentary: The time is here; Vote YES on Measure A

It has become painfully clear over the last few weeks that the local newspaper, The Signal,  is completely out of touch with the issues in the unincorporated west side communities. The editorial board for the paper does not completely understand the basic issues involved in Tuesdays advisory vote and is channeling much of the rhetoric that the City has been spinning for years. 

Don’t be fooled by the claims that money is being sucked out of our local community. More than $22 million dollars has been reinvested back into our communities over the last two years alone. The investments are real and tangible with a new library up in Castaic; tennis courts and park bathrooms in Stevenson Ranch just to name a few examples. There are many more amenities and improvements that can be seen all around the unincorporated communities.

All the City or Santa Clarita is interested in is grabbing sales tax revenue along the Old Road and you can bet they want that for nothing! They need a lot more cash to pump into and fix up the infrastructure in Canyon Country; pay off law suits in which they have lost millions due to bad management; just to highlight a few examples.

Our communities have great, accessible representation in the Santa Clarita Valley with Supervisor Antonovich’s fully staffed office right here on Valencia Blvd. The Supervisor and his staff have been attentive to our communities and have been responsive the needs of our residents.     

The bottom-line is that the City of Santa Clarita has not made the effort to work with the local residents, town councils or homeowner associations in the unincorporated communities. Instead, they have worked hard at circumventing most residents with the aim of trying to get traction on an annexation with no negotiation; a land grab! All with no interest in our residential communities; with no commitment to reinvesting in our communities; and with no interest in actually representing the needs and wants of our communities. 

This vote should reflect the fact that our community may be interested in annexation at some point in the future but not at this time since the city has not shown a willingness to listen to residents. The City leadership needs to start building a relationship with our community and must guarantee our residents a say in local government, local sheriff protection and local taxation. We can not and should not except lip service from the current City leadership as they have proven time again that they can nit be trusted.

Do not be hoodwinked by the spin from the City of Santa Clarita or the so-called local editorial board at The Signal which are more interested in spinning misinformation and outright distortions of the facts than letting residents make-up their own minds.

There is no argument in the official sample ballot for annexation which speaks volumes!

But the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) has recommended that residents Vote YES on Measure A, so has Vanessa Brookman of Val Verde, Robert Moriarty of Sunset Pointe, Don Whaley of Stevenson Ranch, John March of Westridge and Julie Thomas of Hasley Hills. They know that this is the not the time to change governance in our communities.

Vote YES on Measure A and be in charge of your own self-determination. NO on B & C

Dave Bossert- Commentary

Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.