Candidate for Antioch City Council Rodney McClelland takes stand against sales tax increase Measure W, then quits race

Rodney McClelland in a photo posted on his Facebook page Aug. 24, 2018.

By Allen Payton

In a statement on his Facebook page posted late Tuesday night, September 18, Rodney McClelland, one of six challengers in the Antioch City Council race, publicly stated his opposition to the city’s sales tax increase on the November ballot. But, then in a letter to the editor on Sunday afternoon, he dropped out of the race for what he claims are “personal reasons.” He and three others wre challenging incumbent Council Members Tony Tiscareno and Lori Ogorchock.

Measure W is a one-cent sales tax, which if passed, will replace and double the amount of the city’s current half-cent sales tax from Measure C that voters approved in 2013 and expires in 2021.

McClelland also took an apparent swipe at one of his fellow challengers, former Antioch School Board Member Joy Motts, whose campaign slogan is “Let’s move Beyond the BASICS.”

His statement on Measure W was as follows:

“Antioch is A Beautiful City but, we face many challenges. The city Council has Measure W on the November ballot. I do not support Measure W, unlike many of my competitors. With the failure to deliver on the promises of Measure C and knowing it does not expire until 2021 I cannot support another tax increase (Measure W). There is no transparency on exactly where funds will be used. This increase will hurt families on fixed incomes, senior citizens, retirees, and low-income families living paycheck to paycheck.

Where we should be taking care of basic needs of our city we are talking about beyond basics. You must be good or even great at something before you move above and beyond.

I am Rodney McClelland and I am running for Antioch City Council.”

The promises of Measure C that McClelland referred to are the hiring of 22 more police officers and doing so “immediately” according to the ballot argument supporting the half-cent sales tax, which Antioch voters passed in November 2013. Then-Mayor Wade Harper and all four council members at the time, including Tiscareno, signed onto the ballot argument.

So far, McClelland was the only one of the four challengers who had taken a position on the tax increase. Both Tiscareno and Ogorchock support the tax and voted to place it on the November ballot as part of a unanimous decision by the current mayor and council.

If Measure W fails to garner the support of a simple majority of voters, the council will have to either try again in 2020 or place on the ballot another half-cent sales tax to extend Measure C.

McClelland’s complete statement is as follows:

“Due to personal reasons, I am suspending my Campaign for Antioch City Council. I can no longer commit the time and energy required to run for office. I want to thank friends and family for their support. I wish the other candidates well.

God bless,

Rodney McClelland”

He is chairman of the Antioch Parks and Recreation Commission, but missed the meeting on Thursday night, Sept. 20. When asked via email what the personal reasons are, he did not respond before publication time.

The election is Tuesday, November 6. The top two vote-getters will serve through 2020 and the winners will have to run again that year, to retain their positions.

 


the attachments to this post:


Rodney McClelland 8-24-18 FB


3 Comments to “Candidate for Antioch City Council Rodney McClelland takes stand against sales tax increase Measure W, then quits race”

  1. Niall MacDonagh says:

    Measure W despite what has been written is not an increase or a new tax. It is simply the renewal of an existing tax that is set to expire otherwise. If it is approved there will be no change in the tax taken at the register.

    • Publisher says:

      That is completely incorrect. Measure W doubles the current sales tax from Measure C’s half-cent tax to a full one-cent sales tax.

      Please see the FAQ’s on the City’s website – https://www.antiochca.gov/fc/community/measure-w/meas-w-faqs.pdf

      Here’s the first one –
      Q:  What is Measure W?
      A:  On August 9, 2018, the Antioch City Council placed Measure W to renew existing, voter‐approved sales tax funding at the one‐cent rate ‐‐ on the November 6, 2018 ballot.

      That’s a bit of a confusing answer. It should read “to renew the existing, voter-approved half-cent sales tax funding from Measure C at the one-cent rate.”

      Allen Payton
      Publisher & Editor

  2. Marty Fernandez says:

    This has been a problem in Antioch for years……misinformation and the perpetuation of it. Pay attention voters!

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