San Bernardino Measure S oversight committee reviews year‑end finances, capital projects and homelessness spending

The Measure S Citizen Oversight Committee met and reviewed the fiscal year 2023–24 year‑end results, capital improvement program status and near‑term budget prospects, hearing that revenues came in ahead of earlier estimates but that carryover and reserve balances have grown while some program spending lagged.

Committee members were presented with the finance department’s year‑end accounting for the general fund and Measure S revenues and expenditures. Finance staff reported a fiscal‑year revenue total in the low‑to‑mid $232 million range for the general fund, with expenditures of roughly $202.1 million for FY 2023–24 and an approximate $29 million year‑end increase in fund balance. Staff said Measure S net revenues accounted for about $51 million in receipts for the year and roughly $40 million in Measure S‑eligible expenditures, leaving a multi‑million dollar carryover.

Why it matters: Measure S is a voter‑approved local sales tax intended to preserve city services and fund public‑safety, parks, cleanliness and programs for youth, seniors and people experiencing homelessness. Oversight committee members said they want clearer, program‑level reporting to confirm Measure S money supports the measure’s stated priorities rather than being accumulated as unrestricted reserves or held for one‑time capital obligations.

Finance presentation and the outlook

Finance staff told the committee they had revised revenue projections downward for FY 2024–25 and FY 2025–26 after midyear updates and consultant analysis. The committee was shown a conservative FY 2025–26 projection of approximately $222 million in general fund revenues (including a revised Measure S sales tax forecast down from the originally adopted…