Measure O: Information & FAQs

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On May 15, 2024, the West Sacramento City Council authorized placing a one-cent sales tax on the November 2024 ballot to fund essential services, including road repairs and improvements, public safety, maintenance of parks, trails, and public spaces, and homelessness response. Measure O proposes the following:

To rebuild roads and repair potholes, increase police and fire protection, recruit and retain public safety personnel, maintain parks and trails, address homelessness, and keep public spaces safe and clean, shall the City of West Sacramento measure enacting a one cent transactions and use tax (sales tax) providing approximately 20 million dollars annually for general government use, until ended by voters, with all funds locally controlled and subject to independent financial audits and public spending disclosures, be adopted?

Why is the City Council proposing Measure O?

Since the City’s incorporation in 1987, West Sacramento has added 30,000 residents, more than 1,000 new businesses and over 10,000 new daily work and commuter trips. This progress has created economic opportunities for the community and improved the quality of life for our residents, adding new jobs as well as dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreational amenities. As West Sacramento continues to grow and our infrastructure ages, the City Council must regularly evaluate the need for enhancements to essential services to ensure that the City is meeting community needs.

For decades, the City has made substantial investments in public safety, road repairs, park maintenance and critical infrastructure projects. However, as the demand for municipal services has increased, the costs of providing those services has outpaced the availability of new revenue, mainly due to the fiscal challenges of aging infrastructure and historically high maintenance costs.

The City Council has made it a priority to keep pace with the service expectations of our residents and to elevate the City’s standards related to essential services, including public safety and maintenance. The Council elected to place Measure O on the November 2024 ballot to provide a long-term, sustainable funding source to address this priority.

The City Council adopted Resolution and Ordinance approving the measure language and placing the measure on the ballot can be viewed here.

What has the City Council funded with past measures?

The City’s current ¼ cent funding measures include Measure K (2003), Measure V (2008), Measure E (2016) and Measure N (2018). These past measures have funded numerous City programs and projects related to roads, public safety, parks, childcare, flood protection, transportation, homelessness, and other important initiatives. The City Council receives annual reports on the use of these funds to confirm they are being expended according to their voter-approved uses and to assure that the funds maximize benefit to West Sacramento residents.

Annual reports for funding measures can be viewed here.

Past funding measure expenditures can be viewed in this comprehensive summary

What budget priorities could the City Council address with Measure O?

The City’s current budget is challenged to maintain basic standards for operations and maintenance, especially as our population continues to increase. The City currently has minimally acceptable staffing levels in key operational departments such as Police, Fire, Public Works, and Parks to maintain the status quo, but it lacks the budget capacity to raise our standards through increased services. Measure O will create a dedicated funding source for operations and maintenance, allowing the City to meet residents’ expectations by providing higher-quality municipal services, infrastructure, and facilities. The City Council intends to address the following priorities with Measure O revenue:

Public safety

The City’s police and fire departments are facing ongoing recruitment and retention challenges, resulting in gaps in adequate staffing.

· The response time for high priority police calls is as high as 16 minutes

· Since 2012, fire department call volumes grew by 45%

Road repairs and potholes

Despite the City’s ongoing efforts to address road repairs, including filling more than 2,100 potholes since January 1, 2023, there is a significant gap to meet current and future needs. It is estimated that an additional 10 maintenance workers are needed to properly address potholes and road maintenance needs on a sustainable basis.

· Between 2018-2023, the City has experienced a 311% increase in pothole reports.

Parks and trails

Over the past 15 years, the City has added many new parks and trails for the community to enjoy, resulting in additional maintenance needs to ensure these public spaces remain safe and attractive. The following amenities have been added since 2008:

· 53.6 acres of park space in 12 new parks

· 12.5 miles of trails

· 16 public art pieces

· 58,000 square feet of new facilities including the Recreation Center and Community Center

How could the City Council utilize Measure O funding?

If Measure O is passed by voters, the City Council will utilize the funding strictly for increasing the level of essential services provided by the City, including road and pothole repairs, police and fire protection, parks and trails maintenance, homelessness response, and keeping public spaces safe and clean. The City Council has initially identified some opportunities that could be accomplished nearly immediately with a portion of these funds, including:

· Implementation of several road rehabilitation projects, including Sacramento Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, Southport Parkway and Harbor/Industrial Boulevard

· Creation of a dedicated road maintenance team with staff and equipment solely for repairing potholes and completing road repair projects

· Restoration of staffing for fire Engine 45, creating positions for up to 12 additional firefighters and improving city-wide fire response times

· Several new police officer positions, creating a 20% increase in police patrol shifts

· Increased personnel to maintain parks, trails, roads, sidewalks and facilities

FAQ

With new housing development in West Sacramento increasing property tax revenue, why is Measure O necessary?

While property taxes are an important source of funding for the City, making up 15.6% of total revenues and 46.7% of General Fund revenues, they can be unpredictable. New developments do contribute to the property tax base, but this growth is influenced by market forces beyond the City’s control. Additionally, California law imposes limits on the reassessment of property values and the setting of tax rates, which constrains the City’s options for addressing General Fund gaps.

Measure O proposes a sales tax that will create a stable and reliable revenue stream, essential for enhancing the core services the City provides. These services include road and transportation infrastructure, police and fire protection, and the maintenance of parks and trails. This funding will not only improve current services but also enable the City to effectively accommodate future growth by increasing both the quality and availability of services for residents.

Why are residents being asked to pay for pothole repair?

Where can one find the text of Measure O? The Yolo County Voter Information Guide says to contact the City Clerk for “a copy of the ordinance, the Ballot Ordinance and/or the full text of Measure O”.

Ordinance 24-7 and Resolution 24-52, adopted by the Council on May 15, 2024, constitute the Ballot Ordinance and full text of Measure O. A link to these documents has been added to the Measure O information page under the section “Why is the City Council proposing Measure O?”

Ordinance 24-7 is an uncodified ordinance which directed the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to impose and administer an additional 1% transactions and use tax in the city, if approved by the voters. The Measure O ballot measure language (i.e., the language presented in the voter information guide, “to rebuild roads and repair potholes…”) was adopted by the Council in Resolution 24-52, which calls for Yolo County to put the tax measure on the ballot with that specific language.

Additional information about the Council's consideration and adoption of Ordinance 24-7 and Resolution 24-52 can be found in the staff reports for the May 1^st and May 15^th City Council meetings.