Gary Singh — whether he likes it or not — is the face of Measure Q.

It was a team effort that secured the narrow 490 vote passage of the 20-year three-quarter cent sales tax in the November 2024 election.

That said, no one invested as much time meeting with community members to explain the need for the sales tax and what it could do than Singh.

He racked up in excess of 100 “town hall” style meetings in any venue that people were willing to meet with groups that ranged from three voters to more than a hundred.

In the lead up to the election, Singh drew the most heat whether it was on social media or in various conversations around Manteca.

And ever since it has passed, he has consistently been slammed by a number of people for the sales tax they contend — from their perspective — was not needed.

To be clear, they are not against the $6 million poured into replacing aging and problematic police vehicles, fire engines, and public safety equipment, the $4.5 million for streets or the nine additional firefighter positions.

Those are initial expenditures out of the gate that Measure Q funds made possible.

They are against the tax arguing the city could have found money elsewhere without asking people to raise the city sales tax which 16,608 voters agreed to do.

You can squeeze only so much water out of a watermelon until it dies on the vine.

Measure Q is destined to be part of the political salvos that will be launched with the November election 182 days away. There are at least 16,199 voters that are not in Singh’s camp when it comes to his Measure Q position.

Given the position of mayor is the only citywide elected office and that this is the first local election since the sales tax passed, there were be a concerted effort to channel as much as of that Measure M “no” vote as possible to thwart Singh’s re-election.

It’s an obvious move that any political consultant — even if they barely have a heartbeat — would jump at with snake like reflexes.

Singh can’t escape that reality.

Perhaps that is why on Wednesday Singh half-jokingly responded to one attendee that clapped when he acknowledged Q’s positive impact during the 2026 State of the City at the Veranda Event Center.

Singh noted “there is at least one supporter of Measure Q.”

Mantecans, rightfully so, need to be leery of taxes.

Most people get that government services cost money.

Most people get the cost of everything is going up.

Not as many get the idea that the cost of the government services such as police, sewer and water, and street upkeep also is going up.

Not as many get the idea that what they want, as opposed to a need, costs money.

Councilwoman Regina Lackey will be more than happy to engage you in a civil dialogue about the difference between a want and a need.

And there will need to be a community wide discussion before much longer about whether things such as an aquatics center is a need or a want when compared to a long list of other amenities.

The want-need dilemma is not digressing.

It comes down to the core issue.

Things cost money. And even with Measure Q, there is not enough money.

That said, the main issue now needs to be making sure city leaders deliver on the broad promises made on how Measure Q funds will be spent.

As a reminder, ballot language referenced streets, enhancing public safety facilities and services, supporting local business, addressing homeless issues, job creation, youth services, and quality of life services.

Singh is a target for those die-hards in their concrete position of being against all new taxes or increasing existing taxes or raising service fees.

It is why it is a little disingenuous for some of those same people to slam Singh for what one is terming as “well-timed” rollouts of civic initiatives leading up to the election.

That criticism is focused on everything from the timing of the ground breaking of the new police headquarters in September that the city has direct control over to the commercial construction boom and flurry of 40 new brick and mortar retail/dining/entertainment-fitness options opening thanks to the business climate the city has fostered.

If you are going to blame Singh for the tax then he gets credit for what Measure Q is delivering after just 13 months of it actually being in place.

Measure Q is just a piece of the puzzle.

It is — when wedded with fees assessed on growth and securing grants — what is now allowing the city to replace aging vehicles and equipment while stepping up its game.