Solvang council expands oversight of revenue measures, gives Measure U panel advisory role over Measure E and renames it

The Solvang City Council on April 14 unanimously approved guidelines from the Measure U citizens oversight committee, granted that committee advisory oversight of newly created Measure E revenues and directed staff to update the ordinance to rename the body the Revenue Measure Oversight Committee.

The Measure U citizens oversight committee — a five-member, citizen panel that has reviewed city spending plans since voters approved Measure U — presented the guidelines and asked council to formalize the panel’s role. Jeff Grama, chair of the Measure U committee, told the council the panel’s work is intended to “vet the city plans for Measure U expenditures, provide independent oversight and ensure consistency with the voters’ expectations.”

Mayor David Brown and other council members praised the committee’s work. “It’s invaluable the advisory services that you guys provide for us,” Mayor Brown said during the meeting. The council voted 5-0 on three linked resolutions: one adopting the committee guidelines, one granting the committee advisory oversight of Measure E funds, and one directing staff to return with ordinance changes that rename the committee to the Revenue Measure Oversight Committee.

City staff and committee members said the change is intended to reduce future confusion as the city implements and tracks multiple revenue measures. The committee and staff noted there are nuance differences between the two revenue sources: Measure U had been framed at the time it was passed to prioritize services that primarily benefit residents, while Measure E’s ballot language refers to offsetting impacts of tourism. The council did not reallocate funds at the meeting; it formalized advisory authority and the review process.

Committee members said they held a public workshop Jan. 28 to gather community input and to develop the recommended guidelines. The council’s action gives the committee a formal advisory role in reviewing budget recommendations and future spending plans for both Measure U and the earmarked Measure E revenues; any final appropriation decisions remain with the council.

Next steps: staff will draft the ordinance amendments to change the committee name in municipal code and return the amendments to council for formal adoption. The committee will continue to review spending proposals and return recommendations to the council before final budget decisions.