Sonoma council authorizes city manager to sign Measure H funding agreement, securing estimated $700,000 yearly for fire services

The Sonoma City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign a funding agreement with Sonoma County to receive the city's share of Measure H, the half-cent county sales tax approved by voters to fund wildfire prevention, emergency response, vegetation management and related services.

City Manager David Guin told the council Measure H is a half-cent sales tax that the county will administer and distribute to cities and fire districts. "The City of Sonoma is allocated 1.18% of that amount, which equates to just over $700,000 a year," Guin said. He said distributions are expected to begin in March and will vary with sales tax receipts.

The agreement establishes how the county will disburse Measure H proceeds to jurisdictions and triggers creation of a Measure H oversight committee. Guin said the oversight committee will have 11 members:…