‘Town of Castro Valley’

While Mr. Matthew Kaser (Letters September 13, 2023) offers many good ideas for development and growth in Castro Valley, especially tying into Silicon Valley technology, his ideas would have little positive effect on revenues for a would-be “Town of Castro Valley.” Most property taxes do not go to cities; instead, they go to the state, the county, and various special districts. Tax revenues from restaurants would barely be noticed from a city perspective.

On the other hand, sales tax revenues from large-dollar items such as vehicles and expensive jewelry make large impacts on city budgets. That is why I suggested auto dealerships to help us grow our budget revenues. As a side benefit, auto dealerships located along I-580 bordering Hayward-San Lorenzo would not be damaged in an earthquake as much as tall buildings, since auto dealerships are essentially flat lots. We could even ride the technology wave by emphasizing alternative fuel vehicles to help fight climate change, which supports Mr. Kaser’s high-tech goals.

–Brian Foster, Castro Valley