Colton Mayor Frank Navarro discusses cannabis and tax transfer of the utility fund measures

On November 6 Frank Navarro was elected as the new Mayor of Colton.

Navarro garnered over 77 percent of votes from Colton residents.

“I would like to thank Colton residents for putting their trust and confidence in me. The Council and I will continue working together efficiently and effectively. Thank you all for putting your trust in me. I will continue to work hard for you,” said Navarro.

Also on November 6th, measures including downsizing the City Council, cannabis, and general fund transfer from the utility fund were passed.

“I am happy that measure R passed. “As far as redistricting goes, we’ve already hired a consultant that has done the demographics. This measure allows us to reduce council members from seven to five and downsize districts from six to four,” said Navarro.

Navarro also said that with Measure R passing, it will save the city a lot of money. “When talking about service costs, there’s always a cost attributed. Whenever a council member is requesting support from city staff or other agencies, it costs money. This will add efficiency to the council,” Navarro said. Measure R will take effect in 2022.

Measure U was also a contentious item that was passed.

“Measure U gives Colton the authority to set the tax rate on cannabis; whether it’s cultivation, manufacturing, or distribution,” said Navarro.

Currently Colton allows for up to two commercial cultivation operations in designated areas of the city. The sale of cannabis through dispensaries is not legal in Colton.

The most important measure that passed was the general fund transfer from the utility fund.

“We’re not charging people more than what they’re currently paying. This is a tax only by the definition of legislation. We cannot take money from the utility general fund transfer until the utility has met all its expenditures,” explained Navarro.

The general fund transfer from the utility fund will help the city maintain its current level of service. “Colton has made great strides in the development of our business and residential areas. Everything we’re currently doing is for the benefit of residents that are here now and those who will come in the future,” continued Navarro.

Navarro has served six years on Colton’s City Council, four years on the Planning Commission, 14 years on Parks and Recreation and has served on Colton’s Finance Committee; just to name a few.

“We have a council that works very well together. We want to keep the communication going and move things forward in the right way. We need to keep the synergy of our development moving forward, so we can bring in new revenues to help us improve our services to the community” said Navarro. “I look forward to serving the residents and businesses of Colton with honesty, integrity and transparency.”