Report Prepared by: Jennifer Levesque, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office
Title
SUBJECT: Certification of March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election Returns and Presentation of the New Measure C Ordinance Requirements
REPORT IN BRIEF
Certifies the March 5, 2024, election returns for Measure C.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion adopting Resolution 2024-44, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Merced, California, reciting the fact of the Presidential Primary Election held on March 5, 2024, declaring the result, and declaring such other matters as provided by law for Measure C (Merced Vital City Services Protection Measure).
Body
AUTHORITY
California Elections Code Sections 10262 through 10264 and the Merced City Charter Section 1003-Procedure for Holding Elections.
DISCUSSION
The California Elections Code requires that the City Council receive and act upon
the returns or results of each municipal election. The People of the City of Merced placed the Citizen’s Sponsored Measure C on the ballot.
The Merced County Registrar of Voters Melvin E. Levey, recently certified the election returns for all votes cast in the March 5th, 2024 election within Merced County. It is now appropriate for the City Council to take action to finalize these returns for City purposes. This action is required under the California Elections Code.
The attached resolution provides a breakdown of all votes cast for Measure C.
Measure C Summary
Measure C qualified to be placed on the ballot through an initiative process that gathered 3993 signatures of qualified voters of the City of Merced. The measure extends the Current Measure C tax at the same rate (1/2 percent) until March 31, 2044, but beginning July 1, 2024, 95% of proceeds of tax would be dedicated to police and fire services and 5% of the proceeds on road improvement and maintenance.
The Measure also amends section 3.38.010 of the Merced Municipal Code to require that Measure C revenue must supplement and not supplant proportional spending levels of budgeted City expenditures in fiscal year 2021-22 in the areas funded by the ordinance.
The additional language in the ordinance requires the City to review levels of spending in FY 21-22 in the areas of police, fire, and roads maintenance and create a baseline for future years. The City Attorney has reviewed and provided a determination of how the baseline is calculated to ensure we are meeting the intent of the language in the levels of spending annually. Attached is a presentation that will be given to the City Council which includes the baseline levels of spending for reference.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution 2024-44
2. Presentation