Contra Costa Times Endorses Hercules Ballot Measures

The Contra Costa Times endorsed two Hercules-based ballot measures in a recent editorial.

One of the measures, Measure O, is for a half-cent sales tax add-on that could bring the city up to $500,000 a year in revenue. The second measure, Measure N, is to allow the city to sell the Hercules Municipal Utility, which has run in the red since its inception.

The piece said Hercules residents were “victimized” by former City Manager Nelson Oliva. And it credited residents for standing up to the secretive past government and successfully executing a recall election.

City officials are now working “feverishly” get the city on stable financial ground. But, the Times’ editorial said, the city is still short of what it needs to fund operations.

“To bridge that, current council members must further tighten expenditures and residents must help them raise more money,” it said. "For that reason, we urge city voters to approve Measure O (and Measure N)..."