Keep Lemoore and Kings County safe, important to vote YES on Measure K November 8

For those voters who may have missed voting for the first version of Measure K, the second chance around is an opportunity for Kings County’s residents to improve public safety in their communities.

We believe that the passage of Measure K will ensure that Lemoore continues to have the resources it needs to keep our friendly town safe.

A few months ago, Measure K lost by the narrowest of margins, garnering 66.37 percent of the vote, which in most elections would be a landslide, but due to the nature of Measure K, which required 66.6 percent to pass, a two-thirds requirement, it didn’t.

Measure K passed overwhelmingly in Lemoore, garnering over 72 percent of the local vote.

Voters, many of them, obviously felt that the public safety measure was important. Measure K earned 11,761 out of 17,720 votes cast, and it ended up failing by just 70 votes. That’s why Measure K backers, which include nearly every council member, supervisor, and public safety official in our county supports it. Only Lemoore councilmember, Billy Siegel, opposed its passage.

The plan was – and continues to be – that Measure K would redirect the additional .25 percent sales tax revenue to a fund specifically earmarked for fire and police operations as well as infrastructure throughout Kings County, which includes the cities of Hanford, Lemoore, Avenal and Corcoran.  It is conservatively estimated that Measure K would generate up to $4 million annually.

Lemoore’s share of the more than $4 million expected to be raised by the passage of Measure K is roughly $675,000 – all for public safety –  to go to the police and fire departments.

Once passed by voters on Nov. 8 the measure will replace Proposition 30, a sales-tax measure passed in 2012 – and pushed by Gov. Brown – that implemented a quarter-cent sales tax for California’s schools. The measure will sunset on December 31, clearing the way for Kings County’s measure to take hold.

In others words, Measure K would not add an additional .25 percent to the county’s sales tax rate. It would simply replace the .25 percent that expires on December 31.

Kings County Sheriff David Robinson said that passage of Measure K is an important step in safeguarding the community. “With additional funding we will have more resources to better serve our communities,” he said. “More staffing will allow for more involvement in non-enforcement activities by police officers and deputies.”

And The Leader agrees. To keep our communities safe, additional resources are always welcome, regardless of where they come from. Measure K is the next logical step in achieving security for our residents