T
he Vallejo Times Herald
October 16,2018
Dear Benicia City Council and Residents of Benicia,
Our refinery has been your neighbor in Benicia for nearly 50 years and is considered one of the safest in the state. We are an integral part of this community and we believe that Benicia should be home to a thriving economy with good jobs and solid tax revenues.
Unfortunately, at City Hall, the mayor has decided to make our operations, employees’ jobs and the city’s tax revenues her target.
Mayor Patterson has not only signed a letter essentially calling for the end of our refinery, but she led a statewide press conference to launch this attack. Her hand-picked vice mayor has joined her in this agenda. Now, they are endorsing Kari Birdseye in an effort to stack the city council with members who will follow her lead. We all benefit from a city government that represents broad and diverse viewpoints.
Valero’s Benicia Refinery is home to more than 450 employees and supports the livelihood of 3900 people in the area. The refinery provides nearly a quarter of the City’s general fund revenues — funding police, fire and teachers in our community. We are a vital part of the economy and Benicia is our home.
It is not only important to our employees, but residents of Benicia to hear from its largest employer. Our city council has plenty of serious local issues to address, including:
- Water and sewer rates.
- Crumbling roads.
- Ballooning pension costs.
- Declining budget reserves.
- Keeping our children safe from legal marijuana.
We appreciate local teachers, police officers, the chamber of commerce, firefighters and others who support candidates who want to work on the broad range of issues this community faces, not those that are posturing on a single anti-business agenda.
Don Wilson is the Vice President and General Manager for the Valero Benicia Refinery.
