As we get closer to the election, politics can get dirty. It's unfortunate but it's true. I'm sorry to say Sandy is not immune.
As someone who cleans horse stalls every day, I know horse crap when I see it. We’re closing in on Election Day and my opponents are desperate to distort my record and revise history. Let’s get into it.
The 2019 Sandy property tax increase was needed to correct years of neglect in public safety understaffing and to reverse the illegal water fund transfer under the Dolan administration. Both occurred while candidates Kris Nicholl, Linda Saville and Mike Applegarth who were on/involved with the council did nothing to address these gaping problems.
When Mayor Bradburn came into office it was his first order of business to correct the illegal water fund transfer and shore up the staff hemorrhaging at our police and fire departments.
In 2019 the council approved a 22% tax increase, not 34%. This resulted in a $32/year increase on the median home in Sandy. What did we get for that? Seven full time police officers and five firefighters which we desperately needed. That’s what residents wanted and they were willing to invest. Lucky we did it then because months later, the earthquake and the pandemic hit and we were prepared.
I supported the increase even though I was advised it was “political suicide” for a candidate to speak up. It was the right thing to do. I won the election despite my opponent, pictured bottom left, pushing out aggressive and misleading ads like this, saying voters should expect more of the same each year if they elected me. Of course that hasn’t happened.
Since elected I’ve made sure the increase has gone to where it’s been promised- no shell game shifting accounts like they did in the past. There’s been no tax or fee increase during my term in office. In fact, I’m the only council member who volunteered and collected signatures to repeal the state sales tax on groceries last year. I voted against a doubling of our household recycling fee and I opposed an early county sales tax increase. People know I’m vigilant against tax increases which erode our household budgets little by little.
Like they did in 2019, I know Sandy voters will look at my record and toss this in the circular file where it belongs.
A vote for me is a vote for a fair approach to budgeting that will keep taxes low, without compromising on public safety. Nor will we have to sell out our city’s future to high density developers who are more than happy to pick up the tab as long as they can build up steep and deep.
I trust Sandy voters won’t be swayed by this type of negative campaigning that has no place in city elections. Onward to Victory November 2nd. Vote Monica Z!