Measure U funds will be put into the General Fund. Uses of the General Fund are the most publicly discussed and reported of any in our budget A few key things this fund pays for:

• Police
• Fire
• Capital improvements
• Park & Recreation programs
• Unfunded State and Federal mandates.

Measure U will provide local funding for local priorities without interference from the state. The resulting revenue will fund vital local services while the work of streamlining government and reducing expenses continues.

The City of San Carlos needs to reduce salary, benefits & pensions like most of the other cities instead of asking us for a tax increase!! I know so many people in San Carlos who have lost their jobs or taken major pay cuts. It is absurd for the City to threaten us with park closures, etc. if we don’t pass this when their citizens have lost their jobs or taken major pay cuts. Shame on the city for even asking!

A popular refrain is that city employees providing vital city services should bear the burden of budget cuts exclusively. Employee costs are a concern for all and our city has taken the following actions:

• Implemented a “two-tier” system of compensation and benefits, where new employees receive fewer benefits than their peers with more seniority
• Held employee pay to less than the average of 15 cities to which we compare ourselves
• Mandated employee furloughs (unpaid days off) for the last six years
• Increased city employee contribution to health insurance premiums, thus reducing the City’s share (and expense)
• Eliminated a “retiree medical benefit” for many city employees

These are just a few of the points the City of San Carlos has negotiated with our employees in order to reduce expense. This progress has been made through ongoing, cooperative, and good- faith efforts.

After several years of faithful service – it appears my trusty server is enjoying some intermittent “bumps” in its network interfaces.  I’ll be replacing the wayward equipment soon with a sleek and shiny server, until then, please forgive the occasions this site may be “off the air”