Why the Lies?
Since our City Council did not sponsor the sales tax increase, neither should you!
The Police Officer’s Association (POA) paid resident and POA consultant Glenn Kennedy a lot of money to be the “petitioner of record” on their sales tax increase initiative that gathered 5,573 signatures mainly through misinformation, lies, and scare tactics. Kennedy was appointed to the Planning Commission by Councilmember Jessica Shewmaker in February 2019.
What Really Happened?
Before the initiative was even certified by Los Angeles County, the West Covina City Council gave police and fire a 12% increase with an additional 12% if their sales tax increase—Measure WC—is approved by the voters.
The West Covina City Council wants residents to believe signature gatherers and sponsors of the sales tax are concerned residents who care about our city and live and raise their families here. That’s not exactly true! Many, if not most, were hired signature gatherers or off-duty employees who live outside of the City of West Covina.
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Many of the paid signature gatherers were from Pomona, Rialto, and elsewhere. One even came from Arizona. He bragged he made as much as $7 a signature!
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Many of the employees who gathered signatures were off-duty police and fire employees who we now know benefit with another HUGH raise if Measure WC passes.
The bottom line: Before the ink dried on the union’s sales tax increase petitions, West Covina’s City Council gave the police and fire unions a 12% pay raise with a promise of another 12% pay raise and a bonus if Measure WC passes—that’s a WHOPPING 25% total increase.
The City Council did this while:
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Ignoring the misinformation, lies, and intimidation of residents during the signature gathering process and,
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Refusing to publicly discuss the financial impact the pay raises will have on the city’s liability and solvency.
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The State Auditor labeling West Covina “High-Risk for Fiscal Distress” --- 17th worst of 471 cities in the state!
