Transcript
SOURCE TRANSCRIPT
This transcript is downloaded from the source you provided but we haven't reviewed it for accuracy. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record. You can also request an AI-transcription of the audio file with the button to the left.
These are YouTube's auto-generated captions, not a human transcript — expect occasional errors, especially with names and technical terms.
[0:02]
Good evening everyone and welcome. We
really appreciate you logging on to be a
[0:06]
part of tonight's discussion. My name is
Mario Rantelia and I am the public
[0:11]
information officer for the city of Los
Centro. We organized this virtual
[0:16]
gathering to have a conversation and
share information about Measure T. Civic
[0:21]
engagement is vital to our city. So we
are eager to hear your thoughts and
[0:26]
answer your questions later in the
program. Please don't hesitate to speak
[0:30]
up during the Q&A. Thank you again for
being here and for your continued
[0:35]
dedication to the city of El Central.
[0:40]
Just a few quick housekeeping items
before we begin. Tonight's webinar is
[0:45]
being recorded for people who couldn't
make it live. As attendees, your cameras
[0:51]
and microphones are turned off, but we
still value your participation.
[0:57]
Please drop your questions into the Zoom
Q&A box at the bottom of your screen at
[1:01]
any time.
We will end right at 700 p.m. If time
[1:06]
runs out before we get to your question,
we encourage you to email us at public
[1:10]
info@ cityof central.org
so we can respond directly. Keep in mind
[1:15]
that we might group similar questions
together to cover as much ground as
[1:20]
possible. The full video will be
available on the city's website and
[1:24]
YouTube channel. As for our agenda,
we'll start by discussing what is
[1:29]
measure T, how it will appear on the
ballot, the application of Measure T if
[1:34]
it passes, and frequently asked
questions surrounding measure T.
[1:41]
Measure T, the El Centro public safety
city services measure, proposes a local
[1:46]
halfcent transactions and use tax
increase to help maintain general
[1:50]
services.
If approved by voters, measure T would
[1:54]
adjust El Centro's total sales tax rate
from 8.25%
[1:59]
to 8.75%.
This halfsent adjustment is estimated to
[2:04]
generate approximately 8.4 million
annually in local controlled revenue for
[2:09]
the general fund.
The city council voted unanimous
[2:13]
unanimously on June 16th to place
measure T on the November 3rd ballot.
[2:19]
Unlike state or county taxes, 100% of
measure T funds are legally guaranteed
[2:25]
to stay in El Central. The state and
county cannot take or redirect a single
[2:30]
penny. The measure includes mandatory
strict fiscal oversight requiring annual
[2:36]
annual independent financial audits and
public spending disclosures.
[2:41]
As a general tax, if measure T passes,
revenue would support day-to-day
[2:46]
operations and core municipal services.
It could help maintain rapid 911
[2:51]
response times, support neighborhood
crime prevention, and help retain and
[2:56]
attract well-trained firefighters,
paramedics, and police officers.
[3:02]
It could provide funding to repair local
streets and potholes, keep parks and
[3:06]
public areas clean and safe, improve
driver pedestrian safety, and address
[3:11]
homelessness.
It could help maintain youth recreation,
[3:15]
aquatics, senior programs, library
services, and local business retention
[3:20]
initiatives.
El Central serves a daytime population
[3:25]
of roughly 75,000 residents, workers,
and visitors, creating continuous demand
[3:30]
on our police, fire response, and street
infrastructure.
[3:35]
Sales tax is our primary operational
revenue source.
[3:40]
Following a 4.61% 61% growth in fiscal
year 2425.
[3:45]
Sales tax performance is flattening with
a projected 0.99%
[3:49]
dip in fiscal year 2526.
While the city holds approximately 38.7
[3:57]
million in reserve funds, these savings
are set aside for natural disasters,
[4:01]
major emergencies, or economic
downturns. They are not to be used to
[4:06]
fund daily ongoing operational costs.
Now, let's review the exact language as
[4:12]
it will officially appear on your ballot
on November 3rd.
[4:18]
Shall the measure maintaining 911
response, helping prevent crime,
[4:22]
retaining attracting well-trained
firefighters, paramedics, police,
[4:27]
repairing streets, potholes, keeping
public areas, parks safe clean,
[4:33]
increasing driver pedestrian safety,
addressing homelessness, retaining
[4:38]
attracting local businesses, maintaining
youth recreation, senior library
[4:44]
programs, other general city services,
establishing a half cents sales tax
[4:49]
providing approximately 8.4 annual
million annually until ended by voters
[4:54]
requiring audits public spending
disclosure funds locally controlled be
[5:00]
adopted.
Note that the language explicitly
[5:03]
highlights accountability mechanisms
independent audits spending disclosures
[5:08]
and 100% local control.
[5:14]
We will now explore the sales tax
application if measure T passes.
[5:19]
What is not taxed? Essential items like
groceries, prescription medications, and
[5:24]
rent are completely exempt from sales
tax. What is taxed? The tax applies to
[5:30]
general retail goods, consumer
purchases, dining out, and audio auto
[5:35]
sales.
Because El Centro is the commercial hub
[5:39]
of the region, visitors and out of town
shoppers who shop and dine here will
[5:43]
contribute to maintaining the local
services and roads they use.
[5:49]
Now, let's put this into practice. This
sideby-side comparison shows how measure
[5:54]
T would affect an everyday shopping
receipt if approved by voters. Groceries
[6:00]
like grapes and apple juice remain
taxfree on both receipts. While taxable
[6:04]
items totaling $100 see a half cent
local tax adjustment
[6:10]
on this $100 purchase of taxable goods,
measure T would add 50.
[6:17]
In other words, on a $20 restaurant
bill, if Measure T passes, it adds 10
[6:23]
cents. Residents can also visit the
city's website to use the interactive
[6:28]
measure t budget calculator to estimate
how the half have sent adjustment could
[6:33]
affect individual purchases or monthly
spending if it is passed by voters.
[6:40]
Now let's examine how every sales tax
dollar spent in El Central is currently
[6:44]
split versus how it would look if
measure T passes.
[6:50]
This is the current breakdown. For every
dollar you spend, you are taxed 8.25
[6:55]
cents. The state receives 6 cents. The
county receives 75 cents. And this
[7:03]
includes regional transportation
district taxes. The city of O Central
[7:09]
receives 1.5 cents and this includes the
base rate and measure P capital tax.
[7:16]
To the right of the slide is the
proposed breakdown if measure T is
[7:19]
approved by voters where you would be
taxed 8.75 cents for every dollar spent.
[7:26]
The state share remains 6 cents. The
county share remains 75 cents. The city
[7:33]
of O central share increases to 2 cents.
The entire additional half cent goes
[7:39]
directly to the El Centro's general
fund.
[7:44]
Central residents will have the
opportunity to vote on measure T on the
[7:48]
November ballot. Residents are
encouraged to review complete background
[7:53]
information and materials on the
official city of O Central measure T
[7:58]
information page.
That concludes our presentation and we
[8:03]
will now be moving into our Q&A session.
To ask a question, click the Q&A icon on
[8:10]
your control bar. Type your question
into the text field and click send. Now,
[8:15]
Valerie Nades is here to join me to help
me moderate the Q&A session.
[8:22]
» Hi, Mario. Thank you. All right, as
Mario mentioned, please drop your
[8:27]
questions into that Q&A box.
[8:32]
And while we have uh people dropping
questions in, why don't we move over
[8:37]
into some frequently asked questions um
that we have seen. So let's go into the
[8:43]
first one. If measure T were to pass,
how much will it cost?
[8:50]
» A half cent per dollar increase would
equate to 10 cents on a $20 meal.
[8:56]
Essential items like groceries,
prescriptions, and rent are exempt.
[9:02]
Thank you. I have another question,
Mario. If approved, what would the funds
[9:06]
be used for?
>> The funds would be used for essential
[9:10]
general services like repairing roads,
maintaining 911, police, and fire
[9:16]
response, keeping parks clean, and
supporting youth senior library
[9:21]
programs.
[9:25]
Right.
>> And then, how is proper spending ensured
[9:28]
if measure T were to pass?
That would be done with the mandatory
[9:33]
annual independent financial audits,
public spending reports, and legal
[9:38]
requirements that 100% of funds stay
local.
[9:46]
» Thank you. All right.
Please drop any questions you may have
[9:50]
in the Q&A box. I'm going to move over
uh to another question, Mario, here that
[9:55]
I have seen frequently asked is why is
the city proposing this measure?
[10:01]
The cost of providing basic municipal
services continues to increase.
[10:06]
Simultaneously, the city's primary
ongoing funding source, sales tax, is
[10:11]
projected to level out and projected to
dip slightly. While the city holds
[10:16]
emergency reserve funds, these savings
are not intended to pay for daily
[10:21]
operational costs such as keeping fire
stations fully staffed or maintaining uh
[10:26]
routine police patrols.
Thank you. Thank you.
[10:36]
Any questions that anyone wants to ask,
please drop it into the Q&A box. We'll
[10:41]
give it about another minute um to allow
for questions to come in.
[10:49]
And Mario, I know you already went over
this, but we did have some uh a couple
[10:53]
people join during this time. So, can
you just briefly explain again what is
[10:57]
measure T?
>> Of course, Valerie. Measure T is a
[11:01]
proposed halfcentent sales tax increase
placed on the November 3rd, 2026 general
[11:07]
election ballot by a unanimous vote of
the city council. If approved by the
[11:13]
voters, it is projected to generate
approximately 8.4 million annually,
[11:18]
which could help fund essential city
services.
[11:24]
Fantastic. Thank you.
All righty. Well, I'm not seeing any
[11:30]
questions into this Q&A box
here. So, I think that will
[11:41]
uh any questions you may have, please
drop it into the Q&A box
[11:47]
at the bottom. So, we won't be doing the
raise hand motion, but we will be taking
[11:52]
questions in the Q&A box.
[12:17]
If you need help finding your Q&A box,
it is going to be at the bottom of your
[12:22]
screen with the chat and Q&A
next to it, next to the option of leave
[12:29]
there.
[12:45]
Okay, Mario, I am not seeing any
questions coming in through the Q&A box
[12:50]
here. So, um I think we can wrap this
up.
[12:54]
» Thank you, Valerie. And thank you,
ladies and gentlemen, for taking the
[12:58]
time to join us for this presentation.
Before we conclude, I'd like to remind
[13:03]
everyone that this presentation will be
available on the city of O Centro's
[13:06]
YouTube page and official website, www.c
cityofo central.org.
[13:13]
Additional information on our budget can
also be found on our website. If you
[13:18]
have any further questions, comments or
concerns, please feel free to contact us
[13:22]
at public info at cityof central.org.
We also encourage you to follow the city
[13:28]
of Central on social media for future
updates and information. Thank you again
[13:33]
for watching and we hope you have a
great rest of your day.