Measure P oversight committee reports FY24 revenue and recommends safeguarding pool funds

The Measure P oversight committee presented its fiscal year 2024 report to the Ridgecrest City Council on Sept. 3, reporting total Measure P revenues of $6,057,751 and planned expenditures of $3,175,489, and recommending that carryover funds be held for the Penny Pool Rebuild Project.

Holly Staub, a committee member, summarized the committee's findings and praised staff transparency. “Bottom line ... we found that the measure p revenues that came in are being appropriated as promised by the city council,” she said. The committee reported that revenues were about $400,000 below projections, which staff attributed to the end of a base rebuild project after the earthquake; committee members said the shortfall was expected and not worrisome.

The committee raised three recommendations: safeguard carryover funds for the pool project; monitor the recruitment and retention category closely because salary increases can be permanent and could crowd out capital projects; and improve accounting for public-outreach spending by reporting costs by event to show cost-benefit. The committee also noted a small number of businesses might not be charging the 1% sales tax associated with Measure P and recommended steps to ensure full collection.

Staub said a significant portion of the FY24 expenditures went to engineering work for the pool; the committee said remaining funds are being held to finance construction of the pool in the future. The committee called the full report concise and available on the city website.

The presentation drew council praise and no formal changes; council members thanked committee members for their oversight. The report will be posted online for public review.