Although Measure I will appear on Santa Barbara’s ballot as a half-percent sales tax that the city expects to raise $15.6 million and plug a $7.1 million hole in the current budget, the discussion Tuesday afternoon centered on the order of the priority list — or whether there even was one.
The ballot will include a sentence listing eight categories that the additional tax will fund. The staff report, however, contained this list:
∙ Maintaining the 9-1-1 emergency number for fire, rescue services and police;
∙ Contribute to the City’s Local Housing Trust Fund, improve housing affordability and address homelessness;
∙ Keeping local fire stations open;
∙ Maintaining library services;
∙ Ensure safety and cleanliness in public areas and parks;
∙ Protection from rainwater;
∙ Improving preparedness for natural disasters; and
∙ Maintaining local businesses and jobs.
Council member Kristen Sneddon admitted she was confused by the list and the speakers who eloquently advocated for highlighting affordable housing or the many services provided by libraries. Was the council here to put the list together? she wondered.
The list reflects the council’s values, said Councilman Eric Friedman, a member of the Finance Committee, who discussed the issue last week. At the time, Finance Director Keith DeMartini said the list came from community meetings last year and reflected their and the council’s priorities. Councilwoman Meagan Harmon, who also sits on the Finance Committee and was recently holding her baby, noted that the list is not in any order of priority.
DeMartini said the tax money went into the city’s general fund. In future budget discussions, the council will have to decide how to distribute the money among the specified categories. “There can be all kinds of chaos in the funding pot that you don’t expect,” noted Councilman Mike Jordan, calling the list a snapshot in time. “The things at the bottom of the list can move up or down over time.” Ensuring the money is spent as the public expects requires a little faith in the council, Jordan said, for which it is held accountable every four years.
The council agreed that Measure I, which serves “collective” priorities, would increase the city’s sales tax from 8.75 percent to 9.25 percent if passed in November.
