The city council took its first major steps Monday toward
divvying up the $3.5 million to $4 million in projected revenue
generated annually by Measure T.
HOLLISTER
The city council took its first major steps Monday toward divvying up the $3.5 million to $4 million in projected revenue generated annually by Measure T.
At their meeting, council members told staff to start putting together a “service restoration and expansion” plan. The council also approved a selection process for the citizen oversight committee that will advise city spending.
To select oversight committee members, staff will randomly select 25 people from each district who voted in the Measure T election, City Manager Clint Quilter said. Each council member will then interview any of those 25 who are interested and choose one.
“This gives us an opportunity to put the public’s desires to work with their money,” said Councilman Brad Pike, who just finished his one-year term as mayor.
Measure T, approved by Hollister voters 66 percent to 34 percent on Nov. 6, will raise the city’s sales tax from 7.25 percent to 8.25 percent on April 1. Sales tax supporters have said the extra funds will help Hollister balance its budget deficit and provide adequate police and fire service.
Before the election, city staff said it would be illegal to commit the extra tax dollars to specific uses. Now, however, Quilter said it’s time to draw up a detailed plan about how the money will be spent. Quilter said he wants to present the plan to the council in January, with public workshops scheduled for February and final approval in March.
The city won’t hold workshops until a draft plan is complete, but Quilter said locals will still have an opportunity to shape the plan. By starting with a draft plan, it helps structure the discussion without making any commitments, Quilter said.
“I think having some form initially is very useful,” he said.
At Quilter’s request, the council also instructed staff to start recruiting police officers, firefighters and maintenance workers. Quilter confirmed that no one will be hired until the plan is completed, but he said recruiting now will give the city a head start.
“You know you’re going to be hiring some folks in each area,” Quilter said. “You can decide what the exact number would be later on in that process.”
Hiring police officers in particular can be a time-consuming process, he noted.
As outlined in Measure T, the council will appoint an advisory citizen oversight committee that will report back to the public on city spending. Those reports will come twice a year, Quilter said, after the budget audit in February and once after budget approval in September.
Several council members, including newly-appointed Mayor Doug Emerson, said they want the committee to be chosen through a fair process.
Councilwoman Monica Johnson emphasized that both Measure T supporters and opponents will be welcome on the oversight committee. Quilter noted the city doesn’t know whether people voted yes or no anyway. But Johnson responded, “I know, but I just want to be clear.”
Emerson said Hollister residents have already given him positive feedback about the selection plan.
“That’s a very fair way to do it,” he said.
