Concord Measure Q Oversight Committee

(March 2011)

Measure Q, passed by Concord voters in November 2010, establishes a half-cent local sales tax increase that sunsets in five years. The measure requires that an oversight committee to be appointed by the City Council. Interviews for the seven positions on the committee will be held on Wednesday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Garden Conference Room at Civic Center. Candidates will be interviewed by the City Council subcommittee on Policy Development & Internal Operations, made up of Mayor Laura Hoffmeister and Vice Mayor Ron Leone. The City Council is expected to consider appointments to the committee at its meeting on April 5.

The committee will provide recommendations to the City Council on the use of Measure Q revenue, review the City's annual audit report and present its findings annually at a public meeting. Of the seven members of the committee, four must be Concord residents, two must represent the Concord business community and one can be either a resident or a business representative. The committee will meet three to six times annually from February through June of each year to coincide with the City's budget cycle. For additional information, contact the City Clerk's office, (925) 671-3495.

Concord voters pass Measure Q, preserving essential City Services

(November 2010)

On November 2, Concord voters passed Measure Q. The measure creates a temporary, guaranteed source of local funding for local services that cannot be taken by Sacramento through a half-cent sales tax increase that will expire in 5 years.

State takeaways and the current recession resulted in a $23 million decline in City revenues, jeopardizing the Concord community's essential services including 9-1-11 response, police, senior, street and park maintenance, after-school and youth programs, and other services.

Concord has cut $18 million in funding to City services, eliminating 25% of the workforce, including police officers, parks, recreation, and maintenance staff.

Despite these deep cuts, the City still has a $5 million structural deficit. The funds from Measure Q will balance the budget, preserve the current level of City services and allow the City to begin rebuilding its reserve funds.

Measure Q Key Points

• Citizen Oversight Committee - A Concord-based citizen committee will review how the funds are spent. The committee will be appointed by the City Council in 2011. Mandatory audits will be conducted and a yearly report will be issued to the community.
• Local Control - The funding for this revenue measure will stay local with local control to provide for local needs.
• Maintain services - Funds will prevent additional budget cuts and maintain essential general City services such as: 911 emergency response times, police officers, gang prevention, crime investigation, neighborhood police patrols, city streets/pothole repair, senior services and nutrition programs, youth/teen programs and other general City services.