A $3.25M year seen for Measure X

At a special meeting on Tuesday, city Finance Director Isarel Perez-Hernandez provided a Measure X sales tax update indicating that the projected revenues generated for fiscal 2023-24 are estimated at $3.125 million

During the general election of November 2016, the citizens of Wasco approved Measure X, a local one-cent sales tax. As a result, sales taxes increased on April 1, 2017.

Historical Measure X revenue went from $2,059,432 in 2017-18 and peaked in 2021-22 at $3,333,089

For fiscal year 2023-24, there is a projected beginning balance in the Measure X funde of $6,024,965 and expenditures of $8,819,845, with an ending balance of $333,111.

The fiscal year 2022-23 began with a balance of $5,494,574, estimated revenues of $2,858,398, estimated expenditures of $2,328,016 and an estimated ending balance of $6,024,956, with two months to go.

Perez-Hernandez said there will be a significant jump in expenditures in 2023-24, up from 2022-2023, because of the new Police Department start-up costs.

"Measure X funds are primarily for police and public safety," City Manager Scott Hurlbert explained,

Perez-Hernadez said funds are used for public safety, including sheriff and fire contracts, flock safety cameras (license plate readers), a neighborhood camera rebate program and replacing the old courthouse with a new EOC (Emergency Operating Center/Community Facility).

Other funds will go toward street rehabilitation, including repairs for 16th Street, street lighting citywide, Palm Avenue rehabilitation, Palm Avenue shoulder paving, sidewalk rehabilitation, American Disability Act compliant ramps and a traffic calming measures study to determine alternatives to deter speeding within city limits.

Funds also will be used for park and animal control improvements, such as dog park amenities at Westside Park for $200,000, park improvements at $350,00 and the new animal shelter at $996,911.

The committee's function is strictly oversight, with the City Council as the authoritative body responsible for allocating and appropriating Measure X funds.

The committee members are Carl Joe Hively, Marcos Torres and Chairman Florirene Olvera.

Torres joined in February of this year and said he wanted to get involved in the community and give back.

Hively has been with the committee since the Measure X tax was enacted in 2017.

"The progress so far has been very good with many improvements throughout Wasco like the police, fire, improvements in the roads, cameras going up and lighting," he said,

"Covid slowed us down for a year, and we didn't meet, though we caught up with all the financials that have been paid and received for the benefit of Wasco."