Unpacking "Measure O": What 2 very different ballot measures mean for West Sacramento, Sacramento taxpayers
WEST SACRAMENTO -- Two weeks out from the 2024 general election, there are two Sacramento-area municipalities with a Measure O on the November ballot. Depending on where you live, they do different things.
CBS13 is getting answers and clearing up the confusion on what the measures mean for both West Sacramento and Sacramento voters -- as each measure pushes for a tax increase.
West Sacramento's "Yes on Measure O" campaign promises pothole fixes, public safety investments
West Sacramento voters have a decision to make by November 5: yes or no on Measure O.
"We are experiencing this growth and we are not able to keep up with the service demand we have right now," said West Sacramento City Councilmember Verna Sulpizio Hull.
The city council is asking voters through Measure O to approve a sales tax increase of one cent to fund much-needed road repairs and public safety investments.
"Immediately, city council wants to create a dedicated road maintenance team to focus specifically on road repair and potholes," said Sulpizio Hull. "Since 2018, we have had a 311% increase in demand for pothole repairs."
The city says Measure O money would also fund public safety improvements, including helping address West Sacramento Police Department understaffing to potentially increase patrols by 20%.
"West Sacramento deserves better and we want to see that in our community," said Sulpizio Hull.
In addition, Sulpizio Hull says the city wants to repair fire engine 45 to serve West Sacramento's Southport community, hiring 12 new firefighters there and helping improve response times city-wide. Money would also be allocated to maintain parks and trails and to help address homelessness.
"For the person, the voter, who thinks, 'I'm gonna vote no because I don't want my taxes to increase,' what would you say to that person?" I asked.
"We completely understand the position that families are in right now. As your expenses are going up at home, our expenses are going up at the city as well. But the beauty of a sales tax increase is it's just one dollar on a hundred dollars that you would spend. We have a lot of destination retail in West Sacramento and people come in to shop at Ikea, at Walmart. So we will have a lot of money from outside of the community coming in to help fund Measure O," said Sulpizio Hull.
Opposition campaign says West Sac's plan lacks clarity, is an "open check" to the city
West Sacramento's Measure O does not spell out exactly where each taxpayer penny will go -- just that the estimated additional $20 million generated in sales tax revenue would go into the city's general fund if the measure is passed by voters.
That is a big problem for the "No on Measure O" campaign, organized by longtime West Sacramento resident Larry Langford.
"We are giving an open checkbook to the city. This measure is an open-ended tax. It has no expiration date. It's a forever tax, and there is no specification on what money will be spent where and how often," said Langford.
The city attorney's "impartial analysis of Measure O" states, "Because this transactions and use tax will be a general tax, the City of West Sacramento will be able to use tax proceeds for any legal governmental purpose."
Langford said if West Sacramento's Measure O followed a similar funding outline to the city of Folsom's Measure G, which states outright what percentage of taxpayer funds will go where, he might vote "yes."
Instead, Langford says the only thing Measure O promises is uncertainty.
"It's not a revenue problem, it's a spending problem," said Langford. "This is a matter of using the money you have wisely. We have to budget ourselves. The city needs to budget themselves also. We need to hold them accountable."
West Sacramento's new sales tax rate, if the one-cent increase is approved by voters, would be the highest in the region -- matched only by the city of Galt.
The city's existing sales tax rate already brings in about $20 million a year. Passing Measure O would bring in an additional $20 million to total an estimated $40 million in sales tax revenue each year.
"In this economy right now, people are hurting. Every little bit is gonna hurt even more," said Langford.
West Sacramento's Measure O only needs a simple majority to pass: more than 50% of the votes.
After this story was published on Oct. 22, the city of West Sacramento clarified to CBS13 the process by which the city chooses to manage revenues from sales tax measures. A city spokesperson says that while those taxpayer dollars do go into the general fund, the city chooses to then manage them in a separate fund.
"Over the past 20 years, since the first ballot measure was approved by the voters, every West Sacramento City Council has managed ballot measure funds separate from the general fund to be able to track and document, in a meticulous and publicly visible manner, that the revenues were used only for voter-approved purposes. If the voters approve Measure O, those revenues will be handled in the same way with equal care," said a spokesperson for the city of West Sacramento.
Sacramento's "Measure O" supports firefighters, faces no organized opposition
Sacramento's Measure O, also named the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Fire/ Emergency Medical Response Measure, is turning to taxpayers for much-needed improvements to equipment and infrastructure at Sacramento Metro Fire.
Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn said the passing of Measure O will be pivotal for his department.
"We're at a defining moment in Metro Fire where we can continue to provide a high level of service, a premium level of service, or we will face challenges moving forward to keep up with the service we do provide," Wilbourn said.
According to Metro Fire, call volume has increased 40% in the last decade -- however, money to keep up with repairs and capital improvements has not. Sacramento's Measure O would bring in $415 million to improve department infrastructure through a property tax increase.
That would be $19 per $100,000 of assessed home value each year, or approximately $79 annually for the average home.
"In [one of our stations], we have an ambulance that's positioned in the backyard because there is no space for it in the apparatus bay, and that's very consistent with a lot of our stations," he added, which can reduce the equipment's lifespan by being out in the sun.
Wilbourn also said that 73% of fire engines are nearing the end of their life span and many stations are too small for newer larger trucks.
On the county voter guide, the Sacramento Taxpayers Association posed a rebuttal against Measure O but said it is officially "neutral" in its stance, posing the question: "Why can't new equipment and building improvements be made with the current annual budget?"
There is no organized campaign against Sacramento's Measure O like in West Sacramento.
Sacramento homeowners told CBS13 it's worth the extra expense.
"I'm comfortable enough with it," Sacramento County resident Mary Migge said. "They work hard and they are representing our city here."
Business owner Bal Soin said it's the cost of doing business.
"Every two years, five years, ten years, you have to upgrade your equipment. If you have the labor force but not the equipment to use, it doesn't help," said Soin.
In both West Sacramento and Sacramento County, Measure O is a tax hike that comes down to voters -- either giving it the green light or slamming on the breaks.
Election day is November 5.