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Uploaded: Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 10:00 AM
Alamo meeting talks taxes and services
Incorporation movement leaders answer questions on roads, parks and more
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by Meghan Neal
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 | Alamo residents who don't think incorporation is a good idea either didn't show up at the Alamo Incorporation Movement's community meeting Tuesday, or they kept their mouths shut as the group touted the benefits of becoming an independent town.
A few dozen people attended the meeting. Most of those who asked questions didn't take a stance one way or the other, but sought more information on specific topics like maintaining roads and parks, the makeup of the would-be city government, and tax revenue.
Some residents were concerned that taxes would be raised to fund running the town, since Alamo doesn't take in a lot of commercial sales tax and property taxes are relatively low.
AIM spokesman Chris Kenber said if Alamo were to incorporate, the town council could propose an increase - most likely on landscape or lighting taxes - but it would need a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
"People care a lot about taxes," resident Grace Schmidt said after the meeting. "I think it was made pretty clear that a new city council cannot willy-nilly just raise your taxes."
As far as parks, roads and traffic are concerned, AIM members said the best way to maintain and improve conditions is with local management. They said the county has historically been very slow at making changes in Alamo, citing broken street lights and traffic lights that have taken years to fix.
Moreover, it would make sense to get out from under the county's wing while it's in such a financial pickle.
"The county desperately needs to improve its tax base," Kenber said. And if it can't raise the money by upping taxes it will presumably cut services, which could hurt Alamo.
AIM members urged anyone worried about the financial feasibility of incorporation to be patient. State studies by the Local Agency Formation Commission are currently under way, which will determine if Alamo can pull off a township.
The LAFCO results will be made public in June; if they are positive then Alamo residents will vote on incorporation, most likely in the March 2009 election. Until then, any debate over if Alamo can afford the change would be futile, the group said.
If it does come to a vote next March, residents will simultaneously vote on a city council, so there would be a government ready to go if incorporation passed. Kenber said it's time for people to start thinking about if they'd be interested in running for these positions.
Some aspects of the would-be government are determined by the state: Alamo would be required to have a council, town manager, city clerk and city attorney, for example. Others would be up to the elected officials.
"I think it's good that these issues keep getting out there, because they're complicated," said Schmidt. "Not too much can be said about them." Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Oxymo Ron, a resident of another community, on Apr 9, 2008 at 10:48 am Dear neighbors,
The message from the absence of significant audience last night was the absence of community in defining a local government.
Of all the entertaining commentary, "keeping Alamo Alamo" was the most oxymorian of concepts. Beyond the humor of the past tense of Alamo being Alamode, one can wonder if Alamo is a verb, a noun, or subject of many definitions. Can one Alamo as if it were an action or be Alamo as if it were individuals?
Should we consider Alamo a place and then ask exactly where is Alamo? Is it just a business district and names of various businesses. Is Alamo certain residences belonging to those that propose a Town of Alamo? Is it a region of neighborhoods that reach from Walnut Creek into Danville?
If someone as Alamo took an action as Alamo against an another as Alamo, would our sentence be "Alamo alamo Alamo" or is that just an oxymoron?
Quite entertaining,
OX
One HAL of a Pal
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Posted by Vince Kreigher, a resident of another community, on Apr 9, 2008 at 2:44 pm Posted with a smile from the author
Dear OX and neighbors,
In January, I do believe, AIM, through its offspring ACF, declared Alamo to be a Zip Code and appropriately Alamo Postmistress became the ruling authority. Does everyone remenber Discover Alamo 94507? We concluded, based on this expertise, that Alamo is a community of mailboxes.
Among the facade of community, neighbors have always known that their mailboxes, via their Zip Code, was their only connection. Cleverly, this learning allows neighbors to create e-mailboxes and to communicate e-mailbox to e-mailbox.
Then something amazing happened! Community happened neighbor to neighbor, neighborhood to neighborhood. An e-region blossomed from Walnut Creek into Danville and a community without boundaries is celebrating itself as the Diablo Vista region.
All because of mailboxes,
Vince, away in Morro Bay
Posted from All things Alamo & Pop(u)lar e-exchange
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Posted by Melinda Jenkins, a resident of another community, on Apr 9, 2008 at 2:52 pm Posted while smiling for the author
Dear neighbors,
I was thinking seriously about Alamo this morning and the plan Hal Bailey had to replace all manhole covers as a method of giving a community to neighborhoods. I believe the large sunflower pattern was elected by gleeful neighbors, but I did not hear any implementation plans.
As a resident of Morro Bay for nearly a year, I would like Alamo and Morro Bay to adopt the same manhole covers so we can even have more in common.
Create community, buy a manhole cover,
Linda, all the way in Morro Bay
Posted from All things Alamo & Pop(u)lar e-exchange
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Posted by Todd Butler, a resident of another community, on Apr 10, 2008 at 3:42 pm Dear neighbors,
Mail boxes, manhole covers, and fire hydrants are the potential definition of community in our region. As you look around your neighborhoods for what we have in common, those three are the most obvious.
But are they an issue that requires attention?
I was thinking maybe so and I suggest there is logic in such focus. If all neighbors, including those that consider themselves the Alamo Community, started creating more beauty among mail boxes, manhole covers and fire hydrants, one could imagine the possibility of community resulting to tackle the larger issues.
Just a thought,
Todd
Posted from All things Alamo & Pop(u)lar e-exchanges
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Posted by Van Darren, a resident of another community, on Apr 11, 2008 at 5:04 pm Dear neighbors,
Telephone poles are an eye sore and should be replaced with equally beautiful underground utilities, exceptionally beautiful street lights and well-disquised WIFI antennas. My neighbor, Mel, claims all that could be build into manhole covers as projections of laser illumination and broadcast.
Do we have another definition of beautiful?
Van on the edge in Tice Valley
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