Incorporation for Fallbrook not an option

While I generally agree completely with Ray Carney’s letters about various subjects, he’s way off on incorporation. Every few years cityhood for Fallbrook rears its ugly head, and once the numbers are run, it fades back into its well deserved oblivion.

There are several reasons. I’ll name a few major obstacles: One, the county has a law nicknamed “double dipping.” It requires any county-run town that incorporates to continue to pay the county the revenues it would lose if it lost that town to cityhood. So new cities must come up with the taxes it now gives to the county, plus the amount headed to run a city. Impossible. As it stands, Fallbrook gets free local sheriffs, local fire department, roadwork and other county-paid services. Our property taxes don’t even add up enough to pay for these services we now get with the county. Second: the cost of a city government with all of its associated greedy council members, mayor, building and health department, new plush city hall, vehicles, etc. is above and beyond any money we might have. Third: the farther away any government body is from Fallbrook the less damage they can do. You of all people should know that, Ray.

The last study showed Fallbrook not able to afford even one-quarter the cost of incorporation and self-reliance and recommended four major car dealerships, one major shopping mall, double the property taxes and half the police and fire department we now have included with the county. Encinitas is the perfect study of a town that incorporated and has to come up with endless fees and charges, along with prostituting its land to the highest tax base business to stay just ahead of bankruptcy. As bad as the county is, it’s infinitely better than incorporation. We can’t afford it, don’t need it, it ain’t gonna happen. We’re almost built out now. It’s already been sold down the river, Ray.