Lincoln's fair share: Why tax equity matters more than headlines

Placer County has rightly invested in regional public safety projects such as new substations, training centers and a crime lab that will serve the entire county. These facilities matter, and Lincoln values them. But for our city, the most pressing public safety challenge isn't a new building in Rocklin or a training program in Roseville. It's the fact that Lincoln continues to operate under an outdated property tax agreement that leaves us with the lowest share in the county. That means fewer dollars returning to our city for police, fire and infrastructure, even as our city grows. Lincoln leaders did a deep dive into old tax-sharing agreements, going back 30 years, to find the data. Our growth should be providing the tax revenue to provide police and fire staff that is proportional to the growth. However, historically, it has been so challenging to adequately fund public safety. We needed to get to the bottom of this issue. The data we discovered is shocking! For these older tax revenue agreements, Lincoln sits at the lowest percentage than every other city and town in Placer County. We are between 30.29 percent and 12 percent lower overall. Our general fund struggles stem back three decades and is the result of a structural defect that has compounded over these many years. Lincoln has been subsidizing the rest of the county for many years. This defect can never be overcome unless we change the portion Lincoln gets to keep from our property tax. Lincoln leaders have been asking for months to begin a renegotiation process to fix this imbalance. To date, that meeting has yet to happen. Until it does, we remain at a disadvantage compared to our neighbors in Rocklin, Roseville and Auburn who receive higher percentages of tax back to their cities. Critics say county services are expensive. We say, "Why should Lincoln pay more for the same services than every other city in the county? Do we use more than anyone else?" We surely do not! True support for public safety in Lincoln means moving forward on this issue. Regional projects are important, but they do not replace the need for fair funding for our local services. Our residents deserve more than ribbon cuttings. They deserve equity.