Measure K: Breaking down sales tax revenue
Yuba County officials now have a better idea how the revenues generated from a proposed sales tax increase for public safety and essential services would be divvied up – if voters were to approve Measure K in November balloting.
County staff will present the revenue breakdown during a Board of Supervisors meeting today. Supervisors decided at an Aug. 9 meeting to move forward with putting the measure on the November ballot.
County staff was then asked to determine how the revenue generated from the sales tax increase of 1 cent – estimated to be from $4.3 million to $4.9 million in its first full year – would be divided amongst the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, the district attorney’s office, probation and juvenile hall, nine different fire districts and other essential services like economic development. County staff held meetings with officials from each of those sectors to determine the breakdown.
“Recognizing the priorities of the public and the Board of Supervisors, considering current staffing levels of public safety departments, staff felt it was necessary to provide proposed uses of a new revenue stream,” according to a staff report from County Administrator Robert Bendorf and other public safety officials.
Public safety takes the lion’s share of the available general fund monies the county has each year – the sheriff’s office, probation and district attorney’s office received 72 percent of all discretionary funds this year, leaving about 28 percent
for the 17 other departments that provide public services to residents.
“The lack of available general fund revenue and respective allocations provide across-the-board pressure for both public safety and essential county services. Funding recommendations in this report attempt to remain consistent with general fund allocations provided by the Board of Supervisors,” according to a staff report.
Supervisors will receive the report regarding the recommended revenue allocations at their regularly scheduled meeting today, starting at 9 a.m. at the Yuba County Government Center – 915 Eighth St., Marysville.
How it breaks down Officials based projections off the estimated $4.3 million that would be generated from the measure if approved by voters.
The sheriff’s department would receive $2,476,800, or 58 percent of the total available dollars generated through the sales tax increase. About $1.7 million of that would be used to fund eight deputies for valley patrol; two deputies for foothill patrol; one deputy for investigations; one deputy for the NET-5 drug and gang task force; one school resource officer; and one deputy for a homeless/multi-agency team. The rest of the money would be used to fund four public safety dispatchers ($360,000), two correctional officers at the jail ($180,000), and associated equipment and training across all positions ($244,800).
The second largest recipient of the funds would be fire services, which is comprised of nine fire districts. Fire services would receive $860,000, or 20 percent of the total funds generated from the increase. The fire districts are currently discussing how those funds would be broken down amongst the nine different entities.
Essential services would receive $344,000, or 8 percent, of the total generated funds. These services revolve around economic development and would be used for things like infrastructure, marketing and resident services.
The rest of the funding – $619,200, or 14 percent, of the estimated $4.3 million generated – would be split evenly among the district attorney’s office and probation/juvenile hall.
The district attorney’s office would use the funding to restore one prosecutor position ($112,019), restore one legal office assistant position ($61,606), restore one investigator position ($114,343), and all associated equipment and training ($21,632).
The probation department would use the funding to restore one deputy probation officer position to its Adult Division ($101,250), restore one victim services advocate ($50,625), and help pay for the new contract at juvenile hall for medical services ($157,725).