FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Coalinga’s Mayor speaks out about the sales tax measure that failed due to swing votes by Coalinga State Hospital patients.
In November, a one-cent tax hike to prevent the loss of public safety jobs and services in the city of Coalinga was voted down by Coalinga State Hospital patients.
Coalinga Mayor Nathan Vosburg called in to the Broeske & Musson Show on Friday to dispel some rumors.
“You know I keep hearing people asking ‘You know they included them because of the census to make the town, you know, bigger,'” said Mayor Vosburg. “Not everyone included in the census is eligible to vote. Second, you know we did reach out to them.”
In a letter sent before the election, the mayor told the patients the importance of the sales tax money.
The election office told the mayor they don’t check voter residence.
He says they need to enforce the law – that entering into a prison or facility does not change your domicile.
Mayor Vosburg says he was told he would have to file a lawsuit against the County to appeal.
“Suing is a nasty word, you know. We’re not trying to gain money out of the them,” said Mayor Vosburg, “We’re just trying to say ‘Hey, can you guys please follow what we think is the law, and if it’s not we’ll find out.'”
Meanwhile, Democratic Fresno Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula is proposing a bill to limit patient’s voting rights by setting the status of a predator to their last known home address.
Click below to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
