Measure A Sales Tax Extended for Additional Ten Years

The Stockton City Council has adopted an ordinance to extend Measure A, a three-quarter percent transactions and use (sales) tax, that was originally approved by voters November 5, 2013, and first collected April 1, 2014. The tax was set to expire March 31, 2024. By approving the extension by ordinance, the tax will continue for an additional ten years.

Measure A is a General Fund tax measure that prioritizes funding for law enforcement and crime prevention, specifically police and public safety activities, including the Office of Violence Prevention. It has also been instrumental in assisting the city with restoring various non-public safety essential services which were eliminated as part of the previous bankruptcy process of a decade ago. To renew the tax, it must be demonstrated that the tax is still necessary, and City employee compensation is not excessive. The Council held two required public hearings on November 14, 2023, and Tuesday, December 5, 2023. At the conclusion of the second required public hearing, the City Council voted (6-1) to extend the sales tax for an additional ten years.

“This tax was a lifesaver for the City of Stockton,” said Councilmember Dan Wright. “Hiring police officers plagues all cities. Hundreds of police officers have been hired; the attrition is happening for other issues, which we are identifying and addressing through this action.”

City Manager Harry Black assured the Council that the City’s Auditor, Moss Adams, has reviewed and proposed a set of agreed upon procedures for making sure that most of the monies will go back into the Stockton Police Department, which is why the police department and its labor group support the renewal.

“What makes this a milestone moment is that we will be reviewing data and performing analytics with respect to uses of the money, ensuring transparency and accountability. This reauthorization will allow our police department to be more than market competitive.” continued City Manager Black.

Mayor Lincoln closed by stating that he wanted to recap what he heard from the community. “The community wants more accountability, Moss Adams made recommendations for improvements, so moving forward the public should expect to see more transparency. The goal is to improve the level of service to our community, but without this reauthorization, we would not be able to deliver an improved level of service. This will shift the dynamic and help retain our police officers. The lives that have been changed – the people we heard from tonight who shared their stories this evening - brought tears to my eyes. Some of those kids might even be the next mayor, police officer, or accountant.”

For additional information, please visit the City of Stockton website at www.stocktonca.gov/MeasureA or call (209) 937-8827.