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Mayor and challenger both back Measures AA and V; disagreement over sunset clause and communications
Summary
At the forum, Mayor Eric Bruin urged voters to renew Measure V and supported Measure AA for schools; challenger Travis Endicott said he supports AA but expressed concerns about Measure V's lack of a sunset clause.
Ballot measures were a focal point of the Ridgecrest candidate forum as mayoral candidates explained why voters should support Measures AA and V.
The measures matter because Measure V is a significant portion of the city budget and Measure AA is tied to school construction that candidates said would leverage larger outside funding.
Mayor Eric Bruin said he is a strong advocate for Measure V, calling it critical to public safety and infrastructure. “Measure V is 28% of our budget,” Bruin said, and argued that a failure to renew it would force difficult cuts. He also urged support for Measure AA, saying the local contribution would unlock a larger pool of funding for schools and comparing local investment to a higher total project value: “It’s 20,000,000 for a 120,000,000.”
Travis Endicott said he supports Measure AA because it brings federal and other support for school facilities and said the tax rate discussed for AA was “$0.06 per $100” of assessed valuation. On Measure V, Endicott said the tax is a continuation rather than a new charge but acknowledged community concerns about the absence of a sunset clause: “I’m not really happy about the lack of sunset clause and I think that's a large reason why individuals might have a problem with the current structure of Measure V.”
Neither candidate proposed changing the measures at the forum. Bruin framed Measure V as necessary to sustain police, roads and parks; Endicott said a failed renewal would require the city to “tighten the belt” and reconsider services.
On the record at the forum, neither candidate provided a detailed fiscal impact statement beyond the percentage and the per‑$100 figure mentioned; the city’s official voter materials should be consulted for precise tax rates and project budgets.
