I joined the Santa Paula Police Department more than 33 years ago because I wanted to make a difference in this community. As a young man who was born and grew up in Santa Paula, I wanted to give something back.

When I became police chief in 1999, I was honored to be trusted with such an important responsibility. I worked hard to make Santa Paula safer. I may have retired from the Police Department, but I am still working for Santa Paula as a council member and as a member of the grass-roots group, Santa Paulans for Quality Growth.

Measure A7 is a step in the right direction for Santa Paula — a direction we must move forward on. I believe so much in what A7 will do for Santa Paula that I've committed much of my time to making it a reality. You have trusted me to protect you and your families, you trusted me to honor and uphold the law; now I am asking you to trust me and believe in my vision for Santa Paula by voting yes on Measure A7 on May 8.

Let me tell you why.

When you look around this city, you see schools that need more funding; a shortage of sports fields — and gopher holes in the ones that do exist; a downtown that needs an economic boost and a face lift; and additional public-safety personnel who need to be paid at the least the county average. A study presented to the City Council in January addresses our city's "critical unmet needs," which reflect a $165 million hole that we currently have no way to fill unless we start making some good business decisions and take it upon ourselves to promote economic development.

Unfortunately, we simply don't have enough resources to make the changes we need. A7 will provide us with what we need to renew Santa Paula. It will give us at least $15 million in school impact fees, more than $16 million in development impact fees paid directly to the city, more than $5 million in city utility hookup fees and $5 million in new net revenue created by property taxes paid to the city every year after build-out. As a city with a $165 million fiscal hole, we cannot afford to pass up this opportunity.

Sadly, the small group of naysayers — largely made up of county Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources members and a small few calling themselves Santa Paulans for Smart Growth — has started its own campaign of deceit by blatantly distorting the facts of what the A7 initiative will do. It is critically important you know that SOAR offers no solutions to the problems of Santa Paula!

It is also critically important that you understand that A7 does not approve a development in Adams Canyon. A7 moves the city urban restriction boundary to allow Santa Paula to control the canyon and reap any financial benefits that will come from future development of the canyon.

A7 also sets strict limitations on any future development in the canyon by placing specific requirements on any developer. There are no shortcuts for developers in our town, county or state. All the appropriate studies — environmental impact reports, specific plans, etc. — must be completed and approved by the city before anything can be built.

Think for a moment of a Santa Paula that has new, better-funded schools, more sports fields and parks, safer streets and a revitalized downtown. A7 will guarantee soccer fields will be built. Currently, we only have two. Imagine a Santa Paula that has an open sports field for every team that wants to play, and lighted parks. Envision a community where programs and city services have the funds they need in order to provide more patrols to help reduce crime and the funds they need to give public safety personnel a boost in pay. I hope you will join me and many others in supporting A7.

— Robert Gonzales, of Santa Paula, is a Santa Paula councilman and former police chief. He was formerly a paid consultant for developer, Pinnacle, to promote last year's failed measure to move Santa Paula's city urban restriction boundary to include Adams Canyon.