Measure T Oversight Committee meeting Monday at City Hall

May 21, 2017
Santa Paula News

The Measure T Oversight Committee will hold it’s first public meeting Monday at City Hall, a session that should answer the question of what is the purpose and responsibilities of the City Council appointed panel.

The committee was created in the wake of the successful initiative raising the Santa Paula sales tax 1 percent to fund police, fire, youth and roads. Voters approved the measure in November; the sales tax, officially increased to 8.25 percent effective April 1, is expected to bring about $2.1 million additional funding into city coffers. But, as a General Tax, law cannot mandate allocations so the Measure T Oversight Committee was formed, although its duties must still be refined.  

According to City Clerk Lucy Blanco, the May 22 meeting will start at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 970 E. Ventura St.

Aside from Committee Members Andrew Sobel, 
Jose Luis Melgar, Johnny Flores, Kristin Majda and Rose Chacon, Interim City Manager Rick Araiza, Finance Director Sandy Easley and Assistant City Attorney Gregg Kettles will also be present at the meeting. The committee was appointed in April.

The session will start with general public comment to address issues not listed on the agenda, then move into the first matter of business, the appointment of the Committee Chair and Vice Chair.

According to the agenda, other items include “Discussion of the Purpose of the Measure T Oversight Committee and Overview of Committee Responsibilities,” and a separate discussion of committee rules and regulations.

The committee will also discuss its next steps including information that the panel needs, presentations the committee would like the city to schedule and future agenda items.

According to the Measure language, “The Committee shall act in an oversight capacity to review revenues and expenditures generated by the Santa Paula Local One-Cent Sales Tax in order to ensure conformance with the budget allocation approved by the City Council. The Committee’s specific duties are as follows:

“Report annually by May1 on the recommended expenditure of the Santa Paula Local One-Cent Sales Tax revenue; Annually review revenue receipts and expenditures of the Santa Paula Local One-Cent Sales Tax; Annually review the status and performance of programs and services funded wholly or in part with proceeds from the Santa Paula Local One-Cent Sales Tax; Annually prepare an independent report to the City Council regarding the revenue and expenditures of the Santa Paula Local One-Cent Sales Tax.”

All revenue from the tax increase goes directly to the city without any funding stops at the state and county levels.

The tax generated by Measure T will sunset in 2036.

Although as a “general tax” all revenue generated from the Measure T 1-cent sales tax will be deposited into the city’s General Fund and available for use by the city to pay for general city operations and services, including police and fire services, street repair, and youth programs. 

According to the measure’s impartial analysis, “The City, however, would not be legally bound in any way to use the tax monies for any special purpose or for any particular facilities or programs. Since this ballot measure proposes a ‘general tax’ rather than a ‘special purpose tax,’ it requires approval by a simple majority of the City’s voters.”

To view the agenda follow the link at: http://www.ci.santa-paula.ca.us/agenda/index.htm

  





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