By Jondi Gumz
The committee behind Measure Q, the $87 forever parcel tax for Santa Cruz County property owners — advertised as “Wildlife and Wildfire” protection — so far has raised $682,158.
This is 10 times the $59,401 raised by Friends of Central Fire District Yes on R, a $221 million bond to renovate or new build fire stations.
Measure Q advertises water and wildfire protection but the text of the measure does not designate any money for fire districts.
To compare, opponents of the Santa Cruz sugar-sweetened beverage tax — the American Beverage Association — have raised $850,000.
Measure Q fundraising started in November with nonprofit Peninsula Open Space Trust of Palo Alto giving $250,000, nonprofit Sempervirens Fund of San Mateo $100,000 and nonprofit Land Trust of Santa Cruz County $50,000.
Sara Barth of Pleasanton, executive director of Peninsula Open Space Trust, is treasurer.
Mary Culley of Santa Cruz, a partner in Catalyst Strategies, a strategy and marketing firm in Palo Alto, is treasurer.
Sarah Newkirk of Felton, executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, wrote Measure Q.
All three organizations protect
land through conservation easements, which restrict development rights on a property.
All three nonprofits could be eligible under the ballot language for funding.
17 Priorities
The measure, which is expected to raise $7.5 million a year, lists 17 priorities including wildlife crossings, wetland
restoration, projects on beaches, public trails and recreation.
Measure Q earmarks $1.5 million for the County of Santa Cruz, $1.5 million for the four cities, $1.5 million for the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and $3 million for nonprofits, which must submit a winning grant proposal.
There is no money earmarked for local fire districts, which is what prompted the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs Association — for the first time in history — to write a letter opposing a tax measure.
Boulder Creek Fire Chief Mark Bingham said he asked the Land Trust for “wildfire” to be removed from the ballot measure as he does not believe fire districts will get any funds.
At the North County Democrat forum, Sarah Newkirk said fire districts could apply for money.
On Oct. 3, San Lorenzo Valley fire chiefs in Boulder Creek, Zayante, Felton, and Ben Lomond explained their position to voters at a well-attended forum in Zayante.
Experts
The Measure Q campaign tapped a combination of mostly nonlocal experts with a few locals in hopes of winning a majority 50% plus one, which is required to pass.
Last year, the campaign paid Progressive Campaigns of Calabasas, expertise in signature gathering, $89,990, Team CivX of Orinda, public relations, $17, 073, and Miller Maxfield of Santa Cruz, public relations, $8,000.
The campaign also paid Bay Area Petitions of Santa Cruz $12, 426 for signature gathering, Plain Dan Solutions, of Santa Cruz, $5,940 for data, and the Monaco Group of Santa Ana, $9,165 for printing and shipping.
In February, the campaign got donations of $49, 999 from Save the Redwoods League, based in San Francisco, and $25,000 from the Trust for Public Land in Chicago.
Campaign expenses: Progressive Campaigns of Calabasas, expertise in signature gathering, $35,259, and Team CivX of Orinda, literature and consulting, $11,937.
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County was paid $12,437 for consulting, and office, $2,123.
Santa Cruz communications strategist Grace Stetson was paid $8,375, listed as office expenses.
Measure Q’s committee made a contribution to Measure K on the March 5 ballot to raise the Santa Cruz County sales tax from 9% to 9.5%. Measure K passed.
In March, Progressive Campaigns kept gathering signatures and Team CivX provided consulting.
Big Donations
The next three months brought in $190,929, largely due to donations by Peninsula Open Space Trust of $125,000, and Patty Quillen, the wife of Netflix chairman Reed Hasting and a Santa Cruz resident, $49,000.
Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks gave $10,000.
Christopher Wilmers, environmental studies professor at UC Santa Cruz who runs the Santa Cruz Puma Project, gave $5,000 via Democracy Engine of Washington, D.C.
Carol Fuller of Santa Cruz, who’s retired, gave $500.
Matt De Young of Felton, executive director of Santa Cruz Mountains Trails Stewardship gave $100 via Democracy Engine.
Campaign expenses: Team Civx, literature, $24,826; Team CivX, consulting, $22,601; Miller Maxfield, consulting, $23,000; Olson Remcho, an experienced election law firm, Sacramento, $7,602; Grace Stetson, consulting, $7,500.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County arranged for printing at Community Printers, Santa Cruz, $679.
Polling
In the last filing period, from July 1 to Sept. 21, the campaign spent $158,906 to get the message out.
That includes $9,268 in unpaid bills.
As of Sept. 21, the campaign reported $176,333 cash on hand.
The largest expense was for Fairbank Maslin Maullin Metz & Associates of Los Angeles, frequently hired for ballot measure research, for polling, $47,000.
Fairbank Maslin hired KGS Research, a call center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for $35,314, and Political Data Intelligence of Norwalk for a polling sample, $4,200.
The campaign hired Team CivX for consulting $32,500 and $3,450 for polling, $3,450, with the reporting showing $7,000 in consulting had yet to be paid.
Team CivX hired Political Intelligence for voter data, $3,000, Cornerstone Displays of Novato for doorhangers, $5,016, and Just Yard Signs of Orlando, Florida, for road signs, $2,172.
For consulting, the campaign hired former Santa Cruz mayor Bruce Can Allen, $15,000; Miller Maxfield, $10,000, and Grace Stetson, $9,501, Lily Black, Santa Cruz, $2,000.
Olson Remcho, the Sacramento law firm, was paid $6,628.
The campaign made a contribution to the Friends of Central Fire District Yes on Measure R to relocate fire stations, $5,000.
The last pre-election report — From 460 — covering Sept. 22-Oct. 19 is to be filed by Oct. 24.