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Measure A oversight committee says funds were used as intended; two volunteer seats open
Summary
The Measure A citizens oversight committee reviewed Measure A receipts and expenditures and reported that funds raised by the 1% sales tax have been allocated to public safety and core services as promised; the committee also announced two open volunteer positions.
The Measure A citizens oversight committee reported to the Taft City Council that the voter-approved 1% sales tax is being spent as pledged and recommended continuing citizen oversight.
Teresa Vinkley, the city finance director, presented the annual Measure A report on behalf of the five-member citizens oversight committee. Vinkley said the measure was approved in December 2021, took effect in April 2022 and was designed to address a fiscal shortfall by preserving emergency response, police and fire staffing, crime prevention and street maintenance. "There was anonymous consensus that all the funds that were expended and presented in the report were what the city had committed to do with the funds," Vinkley said.
Vinkley summarized receipts and allocations: the report covers two fiscal years (fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024) and showed about $2.0 million in Measure A receipts for fiscal 2023 and about $2.5 million for fiscal 2024, for a combined total of slightly more than $4.4 million. The committee's allocations of Measure A revenue across those years were reported as roughly $2.5 million for the police department, about $1.5 million for the fire department, about $76,000 for crime prevention and $200,000 for streets and roads. Vinkley noted administrative fees totaled $9,371, which were billed by a third party (HDL) and state tax collection fees; she said no city staff administrative costs were charged to Measure A funds.
During the presentation a council member asked whether the figures represented only the 1% Measure A revenue; Vinkley confirmed the amounts reported reflected the 1% sales tax. Council members praised the transparency of the reporting and the committee's work; the mayor noted there are two open seats on the committee and said the city will recruit volunteers concurrently with upcoming planning commission openings.
Vinkley also reported comparative departmental expenditures over the covered period: combined actual expenditures for the police, fire, crime prevention and streets and roads were presented as approximately $9.2 million across the two fiscal years, which the committee used to show how Measure A funds contributed to those costs. No policy change or new spending authorization was proposed during the presentation; the item served as an informational report and recruitment notice for the oversight committee.
