RON DAVIS -- Through My Eyes

I hope you folks in Huntington Beach get a charge out of this.

In September, Huntington Beach’s Community Services Director Ron Hagan

is expected to propose a Surf City credit card to the City Council.

I make no bones about crediting government when it comes to creative

ways to raise revenue without raising our taxes. Demand for government

services always exceeds the supply of money. All too often, we feed this

voracious demand by increasing taxes or fees. (Fees being just a

different name for taxes.)

So, as a master of creativity and coupled with a visa from

business-as-usual government, Hagan intends to propose that the City

Council support a program that will lend Huntington Beach’s name to a

credit card.

The proposal will involve credit card rates that are competitive or

better than most card rates. Further, there will be a rewards program to

reward those who use the card.

And, there’s more.

First, other than the staff time to put the deal together, it doesn’t

cost the city a penny to try the program.

And, rather than the bank taking the full cut of the transaction fees,

the bank shares these fees with the city. That means that if the council

approves the concept and you apply for, receive and use a Surf City

credit card, then a percentage of what you’ve purchased will come back to

the city.

Given a choice between using a credit card where the bank keeps all

these fees and using a Surf City credit card where a portion of those

fees are given to the city to provide additional services, I’ll make the

latter choice every day. This isn’t the first time Hagan’s been on the

cutting edge of creative ways to fund city services without tax or fee

increases.

You might remember the Coca-Cola controversy some time ago. The Coke

deal generates about $600,000 a year for the city, both in money and

in-kind services. That’s $600,000 that you and I don’t have to pay for

certain city services through taxes or fees.

Of course, there are some souls who suggest that this form of creative

thinking is in reality selling out the city. Those people would prefer to

do without the extra services, or pay for the services with additional

taxes. To them I say, “Speak for yourself.�

Most people want a better library, better beach facilities, better

cultural events, but don’t want to pay for them. Hello? This is the way

to accomplish that goal.

The credit card will undoubtedly bear the name “Huntington Beach� and

be emblazoned with some very attractive, positive images of our pier,

beach and maybe even our famous HB logo.

I look forward to the day when I can plunk down the card at a store in

some sweltering locale and have them ask about it. Then I can tell them

about our cool ocean breezes, Pier Plaza, great hotels, white sandy

beaches, terrific shopping, restaurants and a creative city government

that partners with major corporations to reduce our tax burden.

I hope the council adopts the proposal. When I get my Surf City credit

card, I won’t be leaving home without it.

* RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in Huntington Beach. He

can be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected]