So far, the Measure H Committee has done its job, and it appears it has done it very well if the wide variety of funding disbursements it has recommended are any indication.
The committee is tasked with making recommendations to the Calexico City Council on how to spend money collected from a half-cent sales tax enacted by the voters in 2010, money from the Measure H ballot initiative.
There has been the perception that the tax measure was sold to the public with the idea that it would go toward public safety and recreation. We shared those concerns early on, but it seems the general disbursement from everything from public safety expenses to recreation and even shared city-school district expenses keeps to the spirit of thinking community first.
On Monday night, the committee gave an overview on where it stands for fiscal 2012-2013. It has accounted for about $2.9 million in expenditures, with recommendations going to the council tonight to approve $1 million for public safety, $1 million toward a joint-use city swimming pool project, nearly a quarter million dollars toward two school resource officers for Calexico Unified School District.
The committee and city has already sent money toward two new fire engines and school crossing guards.
These are the types of expenses that make sense for a community trying to balance its use of a general tax. There is a healthy amount of public safety and a healthy amount of funding toward programs and services that affect children.
We noticed a new member to the Measure H Committee said he did not feel comfortable giving money to school district endeavors, but it seems all of the school-related items being considered would be considered joint-use or shared expanses by city council and school district.
There are things such as crossing guards, who work off campus and deal with city traffic, but ultimately protect children. The pool, which will serve as both the community recreation pool and a pool for physical education and team sports for Calexico High.
Or the school resource officers, which are commonly shared expenses between cities and schools, and are especially important, we think, at Calexico High, the largest high school in the Valley.
New personalities on committees will have new points of view, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The city, its public safety officers and its school children, are both benefitting today; there needs no fixing. Of course the committee cannot control what the council does, but the committee has done its part.
THE ISSUE:
Measure H Committee gives financial update.
WE SAY:
Committee is making the right recommendations.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
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