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Tina Mc
Measure M: Protects and Preserves
MEASURE M: NOT A BLANK CHECK
Information about Measure M
What will Measure M Pay For?
- Measure M will backfill the structural deficit that has contributed to staffing losses and delays in repairs, maintenance and upgrades to roads, buildings and parks that have occurred over the past decade. Revenue collected from Measure M will allow the city to focus on replenishing reserves to a full 15%, and then address staffing and the backlog of infrastructure work.
What about Audits?
- For the past two years the city has been completing two audits a year. All audits have been completed through fiscal year 2021/22. Auditors are currently working on fiscal year 2022/23 which will be completed by December 2024.
- In spite of delays, all audits (ACFRs) were “clean and unmodified,” meaning that they were materially accurate in all respects.
- FY 22/23 Audit - Staff will have completed the initial audit requested items list and have submitted the trial balance to the auditors by September 5th. The auditors selected interim samples and staff have fulfilled that request as well. There will be additional sample selections received before the auditors are on site. The auditors will be conducting fieldwork September 16th through 27th and will be onsite for the first week of fieldwork.
- FY 23/24 Close - a large part of the closing activities have been completed. Staff is moving on to finalize outstanding entries and prepare for the audit.
What about Staffing in Finance?
- The Finance Department came under new leadership beginning in 2020 and 2022 and has been actively recruiting staff with municipal finance experience, but it continues to have difficulties locating, hiring and retaining qualified personnel.
- The Finance Department has recently hired (August 19) a Deputy Director of Finance, since moving previous finance staff into positions of leadership like City Manager and Finance Director. The current team has the most direct experience with issues and solutions to problems that plagued the Finance Department going back to 2018.
How will Measure M fund services and infrastructure?
- Measure M will pay for Police, Potholes and Parks. It will provide funding to attract and retain small businesses. It will reduce the risk of wildfires by increasing public works hours spent cutting and removing dried grass and debris. Novato maintains over 300 miles of streets, 696 acres of parks, and other infrastructure. Without Measure M, Novato will not be able to fix potholes, keep public areas safe and clean, protect our neighborhoods, and maintain rapid 9-1-1 emergency response times.
How can we be sure funds from Measure M would be spent properly?
- Measure M requires an independent citizen's oversight committee, annual audits, and mandatory public spending disclosure to ensure funds are spent properly. By law, no funds can be diverted or taken away.
Has the Marin Civil Grand Jury discussed Novato’s fiscal management?
- In 2023, the Marin Civil Grand Jury studied Novato’s structural budget deficit and issued a call to action. It detailed what had gone wrong and what steps should be taken to correct the problems stemming from a decade of insufficient revenue and fiscal management struggles. Many of the recommendations in the report have already been adopted. The Grand Jury’s asked Novato to put a general sales tax on the ballot to stabilize city funding for staff, infrastructure, reserves and the deficit. Like San Rafael and Petaluma sales tax increases, Measure M will provide revenue for essential needs.
Why no Sunset Clause?
- A General Sales Tax has a cap which means it can be used by other government agencies to cover their costs. Novato needs the full .75% increase to stabilize a decades long structural deficit. The risk of losing any portion of the tax isn't worth taking.\
- A Sunset Clause is not a guardrail, it gives voters the impression that a tax is a temporary need. In 2010, Novato residents passed Measure F, a .50% sales tax increase with a sunset of 8 years. Voters felt misled when the city said it needed the continue the tax. The city council compromised and reduced the tax to .25% and put it on the ballot without a sunset but .25% did not provide enough revenue and Novato saw a continued decline in service levels and infrastructure delays.
- To correct the problems of the past Novato residents need to be assured that costs are covered and that the tax cannot be taken by another agency. That is what Measure M does.