When Turlock voters approved the Measure A sales tax in 2020, a Citizens’ Oversight Committee was formed to make sure funds were being spent responsibly. The Turlock City Council on Tuesday will review the committee’s annual accountability report.
The ¾ city sales tax was estimated to provide $11 million in revenue annually to fund City of Turlock services by increasing the sales tax from 7.875 percent to 8.625 percent. This past fiscal year, Measure A brought in $15,247,543 to city coffers.
There were eight areas listed in the Measure A ordinance — “protect Turlock’s long-term financial stability, maintain and restore public safety services, rapid 911 emergency and medical response, fire protection, fix streets and potholes, support local businesses, address challenges with homelessness and vagrancy and protect Turlock’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.”
In 2021, the Council split the Measure A funds into two separate accounts — one for road repairs and maintenance and the other for everything else. For fiscal year 2022-23, $7,623,621 went to roads projects.
Other expenses for 2022-23 included: Contract services for mental wellbeing for city staff ($209,000), fire salaries and benefits ($1,162,732), police salaries and benefits ($1,701,204), fire vehicles and equipment ($2,354,831) and police vehicles and equipment ($225,000), among others.
On Tuesday, the City Council is also expected to:
· - Consider approving an amendment to the Zoning Map to allowed the Planned Development Monarch Place at 2630 Roberts Rd. and 3426-3448 and 3536 N. Golden State Blvd.
The request is to subdivide a 2.70-acre parcel into 16 single family residential lots and divide two existing commercial lots into four lots and a remainder. A Planned Development is being requested for the residential subdivision to allow exceptions to the 5,000 square foot lot size, 5-foot interior side yard setbacks, and 20-foot garage setbacks established in the low density residential (RL) zoning district. Residential lots will range in size from 3,785 square feet to 8,237 square feet, will have 4-foot interior side yard setbacks, and 19-foot garage setbacks to allow for architectural features.
· - Consider renewing a five-year contract with Storer Transit Systems for the daily operations and management of all Turlock Transit services, including fixed bus routes, ADA paratransit and on-demand rides. In November 2023, the City put out a request for proposals for firms interested in transit operations. The City received a total of five proposals. An evaluation committee review the proposals and Storer Transit Systems scored the highest.
“Storer demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs and priorities of the City, provided a clear and compelling plan for meeting those needs, and proposed dynamic and qualified management staff to implement it. In addition, Storer's approach to service delivery and their readily available, local resources (both drivers and vehicles) demonstrated their capacity to quickly respond to any issues that could occur over the life of the contract,” according to the staff report in the Council agenda.
The estimated contracted service costs under the agreement are $4,434,546.
The Turlock City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Yosemite Room at City Hall, 156 S. Broadway. The meetings are open to the public.
