Re: Update to an open letter to the property owners and City Council of Santa Clarita. If this balloting was confusing before, and an appearance of the city attempting to mislead the property owners on what they are really voting on, the confusion just became worse. Tonight I received a “replacement ballot” for the ballot I already sent in. The reason stated for the replacement was that “the dollar amount indicated on your original ballot as the ‘current maximum assessment rate’ may have been printed incorrectly.” As I go through the ballot and supporting documents I see nothing that indicates a change for anyone in any zone.
If the city really had to send a replacement ballot it would have been a great opportunity to also clarify how the voting methodology was set up. This was not done.
The City Council and city staff are not helping this issue with this “replacement ballot.” They are setting the city up for a potential lawsuit. The incompetence is off the chart.
City Council and staff, it is time to find a legal way to cancel this balloting altogether. Then you can get back to the drawing board, lesson learned, and do this right. You owe that to the property owners in this city.
Please do the right thing.
James V. Farley
Santa Clarita
