Every four years we celebrate living in the best country in the world with the excitement of a presidential election.

This year’s ballot also directly affects Leon Valley. City voters will decide if we will adopt “a Section 4B sales and use tax to support quality of life improvements and economic development projects.”

This initiative is the result of months of work and study by two City Council-appointed committees that were tasked with developing solutions to Leon Valley’s declining sales tax revenue. Those dedicated citizens did a lot of groundwork so that the City Council could be better informed when making decisions.

The City Council asked the Business Alliance Committee and the Citizens Neighborhood Progress Committee to address the declining sales tax issue because Leon Valley has seen a decline of nearly $1,855,000 over the last five years. These losses are significant, and the only other option for making up the shortfall is to raise property taxes.

The committees recommended that the 4B Sales Tax be put before the voters in order to help attract new businesses and maintain already existing businesses in Leon Valley. The committees outlined very specific uses for the funds if voters approve them:

n Strengthen the Leon Valley business district, including retaining existing businesses and attracting new businesses and redeveloping existing business centers;

n Beautify the Leon Valley business district through landscaping, lighting, signage and other methods; and

n Develop a more sustainable quality of life by implementing the American Institute of Architects plan, including park development, energy conservation for the benefit of business enterprises in the community, historic preservation, hike and bike trails, mass transit and other means.

As homeowners and business owners in Leon Valley, the members of the citizen committees reported to City Council that potential property tax increases, aggravated by sales tax decreases, be addressed by creating methods to increase sales tax revenues. The tax on the ballot this November is the foundation of the proposed solution to Leon Valley’s economic development and redevelopment and, ultimately, to the sales tax revenue losses. You can get more details about the proposed tax, voting times and locations by going to the city’s Web site.

Then the residents of Leon Valley will decide the path and fate of their city.

If you would like to discuss these issues or anything else please e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at Leon Valley City Hall at 684-1391, ext. 216.

Art Reyna is a Leon Valley city councilman.