Community Corner
bemont city council
Belmont's last election in 2013, in which considerably less than 50% of the voters participated, installed a majority of the City Council members. The majority of residents who didn't vote, as well those who did, better pay attention to what's going on in the City Council chamber.
Find out what's happening in Belmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Decisions that affect the pocketbook of every Belmont resident are currently being discussed by the Council, and those residents who don't get involved now, do so at their own future economic peril.
Find out what's happening in Belmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Several topics under discussion by the City Council that could affect our pocketbook:
1. Redrawing the 'Very High Fire Hazard Severity Threat Zone' map to include more of Belmont real estate. The Council, at its June 10th session, seemed receptive to approving this measure and indicated the additional cost of home-owners' insurance seemed acceptable and would provide better fire prevention. A local real estate person, Adele Della Santina, testified that this measure could add $2,400 per year to some insurance policies, and result in at least a $40,000 reduction in property values.
The Council used the safety of the residents as the rationale to accept the changes and ignored the possibilities of achieving these changes without any exorbitant costs to homeowners. This was done without prior notice to homeowners or their homeowner associations!
2. The Council is considering a utility tax that could affect phone, Comcast, PGE, water or whatever other utility bill the Council decides to choose. The Council is seeking the tax as a 'General Purpose Tax' that requires only a 50% voters' approval, rather than a 'Specific Purpose Tax' that requires a 66 2/3% approval to pass. The Council can call the increase to taxpayers anything they choose, but we taxpayers want to know the purpose of the tax and the destination of our revenue; the tax proposal should require 66 2/3% approval by the voters, not 50%.
3. The City of Belmont has proposed an increase in our sewer rates by 8% in 2015 and 6.5% for 2016. Unless 50% of all Belmont property owners file protests by July 8, 2014, the average household annual sewer charge will increase from $637.88 to $691.92 in tax year 2014/2015 which does not include the $250 yearly sewer facility fee.
Whatever your position is on these three issues, you can watch live telecasts on Comcast channel 27 on the second and fourth Tuesday at 7 PM. Or, you can watch archived videos of City Council meetings on your computer at:
http://www.belmont.gov/city-hall/city-meetings/watch-meetings-online
