Citrus Heights City Council Places Local Measure To Address Community Needs On November Ballot

Press release from the Town of Citrus Heights:

July 23, 2020

This evening, the City of Citrus Heights City Council voted to place a local measure on the November ballot to address current and future needs of the community.

As City staff has consistently reported to the public and to the Council, the City’s financial forecasting shows revenue shortfalls for 8 of the next 10 years, including significant COVID-19 impacts resulting in a draw-down of fiscally prudent reserves to the point of depletion. To address immediate impacts while focusing on the health and safety of the community, the City has implemented cost-saving measures by reorganizing departments, holding positions vacant, prioritizing expenditures, and more.

“Citrus Heights by tradition is a self-reliant community,” said Citrus Heights City Manager Chris Boyd. “We have a long history of fiscal prudence and cannot rely on the state or federal government to adequately address our local relief efforts and unique needs.”

If enacted, the Measure will address local emergency, recovery, and accountability priorities identified by the community through the City’s largest engagement effort in history. Of the nearly 2,000 community responses, top service needs and priorities were identified, including:

• Maintaining 911 emergency response times/preparedness
• Keeping city government transparent and accountable
• Maintaining crime investigation/prevention
• Reducing and preventing homelessness
• Supporting local business and job creation
• Keeping public areas safe and clean

“In the past three and a half years alone, since 2017, we have been successful at lowering overall crime by 18%, despite exhaustive challenges brought on by outside influences and changing State laws. Between 2018 and 2019, we decreased violent crimes, even with very limited resources, by innovation and working strategically. But with violent crime increasing in many communities throughout our state and nation, current resources are not sufficient for the current and future challenges we face to keep Citrus Heights safe,” said Police Chief Ron Lawrence.

If enacted by voters, the Measure would implement a one-cent sales tax generating locally controlled funding, with oversight components including an independent citizen oversight committee, public disclosure reports of all spending, and annual financial audits.

This press release was produced by the Town of Citrus Heights . The views expressed here are the author’s own.