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Porterville oversight committee approves third-quarter Measure H and I spending; city manager warns of budget overruns
Summary
The Measures H and I oversight committee approved third-quarter expenditures for both sales-tax measures and heard from the city manager that Measure H is about $800,000 over budget and Measure I about $1.2 million over budget at the three-quarter mark; staff will investigate a flagged $76,264.71 ‘unavailable revenue’ line item.
The Measures H and I oversight committee voted to approve the third-quarter expenditure reports for both Measures H and I, and City Manager Rich Tree told the panel the measures are running over budget at the three-quarter point.
Tree said Measure H is roughly $800,000 over where it should be at this point in the fiscal year and Measure I about $1.2 million over target, warning that reserves are shrinking because of capital projects. “We don’t have the reserves like we used to,” he said, urging tighter cost controls and a deeper review to identify the causes of the overage.
Committee members questioned a line in the packet labeled “unavailable revenue” for Measure H, shown as $76,264.71. Finance staff said they had not yet resolved the entry and would investigate; such items, staff added, often reflect expected receipts (for example, grants or reimbursements) that have been committed but not yet received. A staff member said they would follow up with specifics to the committee.
The committee moved and seconded motions to approve each measure’s third-quarter expenditure report; the chair called the votes and recorded ayes with no abstentions noted on the record, declaring both motions passed.
Tree recommended the committee wait until accruals through Sept. 30 are finalized before holding a full-year, annual review; staff suggested meeting in late October or November so the committee would have a complete, closed picture of the fiscal year. The committee tentatively agreed to a late-October meeting date, with staff to confirm.
The meeting also included department reports that highlighted Measure H and I’s role in public safety and capital investments: the fire department said the measures fund roughly half the department’s budget, about a third of staffing and most maintenance operations, and staff listed ongoing capital projects supported by the measures, including a fire station remodel and new apparatus.
The measures’ reports and the manager’s warning leave the committee planning a detailed follow-up review to identify whether the overages are one-time accrual issues, projected capital timing, or ongoing operating increases that will require policy or budget adjustments.
