What is the new county Citizens’ Oversight Committee?
Are you good with money? Do you live in an unincorporated area of Kern County? The Board of Supervisors may want your services.
Five residents of unincorporated Kern County will make up the new Citizens Oversight Committee, which will oversee and advise the county’s usage of an estimated $54 million in new revenue to fund various public safety departments.
With the passage of tax Measure K — which establishes a penny tax in unincorporated parts of Kern County — last week, the county board is now tasked with selecting qualified residents to oversee its use.
The voting results, along with the rest of the 2022 midterm election returns, were certified by the county board in a special session on Friday.
Measure K comes with strict requirements, public oversight and spending disclosures. Chief Operations Officer James Zervis assured these are necessary safeguards to demonstrate to the public that the county government is spending the money appropriately.
“It’s all ways to improve transparency and accountability to the voters,” Zervis said in a prior report.
Each member will represent their one of five respective districts, selected from a candidate pool by their corresponding county supervisor. Committee members will serve two years, and may serve again when their term ends, as there are no term limits.
Unincorporated zones, which rely on county services, include Oildale, Lamont, swathes of northwest and east Bakersfield, the Kern River Valley and Mojave, among many others. The tax is levied in unincorporated areas, just as Bakersfield’s 1-cent sales tax is paid in city limits.
While only the 11th most populous county, Kern has the fifth largest unincorporated zone in the state, which includes approximately 305,557 residents.
County employees and elected officials can’t serve on the committee, though selected members are allowed to serve on other commissions or committees.
Once selected for the committee role, members must continue to reside within the unincorporated area for the duration of their term.
Their mission is simple: They will review all budgets, revenues, expenditures, audits and other financial reports regarding the Measure K tax. The position, according to the measure’s language, lacks any ability to make or enforce decisions.
Committee members may also be removed from their position by their appointing supervisor at any time. Upon that vacancy, the position will be filled once again by the corresponding supervisor.
A date has not yet been set for when the board will
begin accepting applications. According to the measure’s language, a committee must be established before county leaders can access the tax revenue, which takes effect on April 1. Zervis said county officials will explain
the oversight committee’s role in greater detail at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
For more information on the committee, visit the Kern County website, or review Board of Supervisor meeting notice boards.