In its 3rd year, Measure N oversight panel questions influence over budget process
As the Public Safety and Vital Services Citizen Oversight Committee considers a third year of Measure N spending proposals, some members have begun to question their role in the budget process.
Intended to ensure the city only spends Measure N money on the categories approved by voters in 2018, the oversight committee has largely voted to recommend the projects brought forward by city staff. But as more and more funds have been devoted to annual costs, some members of the committee wonder if they should have more influence.
“We thought we would have more input into where the money went, or at least more control over the city staff’s proposals,” said committee member Mitchel Rowland. “In fact, what happened last year, and the year before, is they just go around the committee and take their expenditure requests to City Council almost regardless of what the committee recommends.”
Technically, the oversight committee can only evaluate whether a spending proposal that uses Measure N money applies to one of 13 priorities named by the city. However, community members and some on the committee have pointed out that the priorities are so broad almost any project could conceivably apply.
“You get this feeling when you’re up there that you’re just going through motions and rubber-stamping stuff, and I think it’s frustrating,” said committee member Fred Prince. “I don’t know if I could come up with a project that wouldn’t fit in one of these (priorities).”
In some cases, even when the
“Right now, in my mind, I feel like we’re meeting the technical intent, but not the spirit of what the community maybe wants.”
— Jeremy Tobias, committee member
committee has voted to not recommend a project, the City Council has overruled the decision, approving the project anyway.
The desire for more ability to sway the budget could open a power struggle between city staff, the council and the committee over Measure N spending. While all projects that use Measure N money must be brought before the committee, so far committee members have not been able to direct funding to certain projects on a large scale.
But City Manager Christian Clegg says the system works well in its current configuration. The ultimate oversight of the budget and Measure N money lies with the democratically-elected City Council, he says, not the committee of appointed members.
“I think there is value in the role that they play, but it really is the City Council’s budget, and all other groups that provide feedback into it are advisory,” he said.
Many cities have oversight committees, he added, and an inherent tension over influence is typically present.
A part of the problem, he said, is that Measure N projects have not yet reached their full potential. Dampened by the coronavirus pandemic, city efforts funded by Measure N have yet to make their benefits fully known.
“I know people are frustrated, they don’t want to wait much longer, but the Measure N benefits are really going to start being felt in this new fiscal year,” he said. “We’re just getting to full staffing and in this next year we’re going to see so much more of those good impacts as we’re coming out of this pandemic.”
The committee is in the process of voting on the third full year of Measure N spending, potentially the last full budget considered under their stewardship. The terms of all members expire just before budget season of next year. It remains to be seen how many will reapply.
“Right now, in my mind, I feel like we’re meeting the technical intent, but not the spirit of what the community maybe wants,” said committee member Jeremy Tobias. “You have some people that are real passionate on the committee, that want to do what’s best for the community, and hopefully we can all agree on what the committee is going to be and it’s helpful.”