Concerns Expressed About Incorporation

• It will be expensive to provide all of the services. The area within the Carmel Valley Master Plan already generates the revenue that is used by the County to provide the services. According to the Initial Fiscal Analysis there is more money going out of the area than is coming back in services.

• The area is too large and diverse. Incorporation seeks to incorporate a very small area of the County that is extremely large and diverse.

• Control will be by small components of the community. Concern has been expressed that small groups (for example businesses, wineries, anti-growth advocates, pro-growth advocates, people at the mouth of the Valley, or people in the Village) will gain inordinate control relative to their numbers. This is a valid concern in any governmental system, and one that is handled by the power of the vote. Smaller governmental entities promote improved capacity for communication, involvement, and consequently improved representative government.

• Taxes will increase. While the law requires that new incorporations must be viable without raising taxes, and the application for incorporation emphasizes that, concern is still expressed that a town of Carmel Valley will need to increase taxes. Dependent upon the type of tax, such increases can only be accomplished by either a two-thirds or simple majority vote of the citizens in the affected area. Taxes can conceivably increase for specific purposes, but it will be a local decision, not one imposed by voters in the Salinas Valley.

• There will be a lack of accountability by city government. A question asked is "why should we expect a municipal government to be any better than a County government?" Local control results in the ability to recall elected officials, or to see them removed in local elections. In the current situation, decisions are made by County Supervisors with no accountability to Carmel Valley but answerable to constituents in the Salinas Valley and other incorporated areas.

• Incorporation will change a rural community into a "City". Actually, many proponents are in favor of incorporating into a Town because they feel that the County has not adequately protected the rural character of Carmel Valley.

• Incorporation will affect the less affluent areas in the rest of Monterey County. Revenue neutrality, which is State law, protects counties from suffering financially when new cities and towns are formed. Additionally, certain taxes paid by residents in the new Town will continue to go to the County (e.g., a portion of property taxes and special district taxes).

The bottom line for both advantages or disadvantages of incorporation relies upon involvement of citizens in government. Local government must be more responsive to local needs, but will do so only if citizen involvement and communication remains at a high level.