Santa Barbara City Council approves final wording for Measure I sales tax measure

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City Council adopted the wording of Measure I on Tuesday.

They chose to add the word "collective" before a list of priorities and "maintain" before stormwater protection.

Voters will see wording that states; "The council hereby determines that funds generated from the measure shall be generally allocated to the following collective priorities."

The priorities, in no particular order, include: Maintaining 911 emergency fire, paramedic and police response; Making contributions to the City's Local Housing Trust Fund, improving housing affordability, and addressing homelessness; Keeping local fire stations open; Maintaining library services; Keeping public areas and parks safe and clean; Maintain stormwater protection; Improve natural disaster preparedness; and Retaining local businesses and jobs."

The 1/2 cent sales tax measure would increase the city's current 8.75 to 9.25 percent.

"So today, the council passed a collective priorities list that would be for Measure I, it is a collective list, so they are not in priority, they're not prioritized, " said Councilmember Eric Friedman, "It is just all the things we do as a city that are impacted right now and Measure I would look to provide funding for those things, such as public safety, libraries, parks, the affordable Housing Trust Fund and others."

The city estimated the measure would generate $15,600,000 to maintain essential general municipal services and facilities and cover local housing trust fund payments.

"It is coming on the ballot and when we look at it as a city we do have a structural deficit and over time it is going to continue to grow and we have been looking at how to balance our budget looking through innovation, through other sources of revenue and this is on there to really allow us to address that and maintain the services that is what it is about."

Since the money would go to the General Fund, Measure I only needs a simple majority or 50 percent plus one to pass in November.

For more information visit https://www.santabarbaraca.gov