Salinas postpones placing a critical piece of funding on the November ballot.

Celia Jiménez here, thinking about Salinas’ Measure G, the 1-cent sales tax voters approved in 2014 to maintain city services and to fix streets and sidewalks. 

In June, the Salinas City Council unanimously approved not to include a renewal of Measure G on the ballot in November.

The councilmembers expressed various concerns, such as not having an entity to advocate for the Measure G extension, and the need to show a united council in support of the measure.

Measure G is scheduled to sunset in 2030 and plays an important role in the city’s budget. To put it into perspective, $24 million, or 9.2 percent, of the city’s overall $259.7 million budget this year came from Measure G funds. It funds 116.5 city staff positions. 

“If Measure G is not extended,” a city staff report said, “the City will have significant issues funding operations at current levels.”

From May to June, FM3 Research, the firm in charge of gauging if a Measure G renewal would be successful, conducted surveys via phone calls and online. Sixty-four percent of registered voters said they would be in support. The strongest support was in Districts 2, 3 and 4, represented by city councilmembers Tony Barrera, Jesus Valenzuela and Orlardo Osornio. The firm noted that passing the measure was viable. (It would require a majority vote to pass.)

Extending Measure G wouldn’t increase taxes beyond current levels, but would extend the sunset date. 

Osornio made a motion not to include Measure G in the November election, noting the city has five seats up for election this year. The motion was seconded by Valenzuela. 

“I would hate to see this fail,” Osornio said.

Councilmembers Andrew Sandoval and Anthony Rocha advocated to move forward in 2024, but after hearing from City Manager René Mendez, pulled back and agreed to delay to 2026. 

“We need a little more time,” Mendez said, noting Measure G funds were critical and highlighted the importance of having a united council. 

Council unanimously approved postponing the measure. 

Jacob Sandoval, a Measure G Oversight Committee member, says the council made the right decision. “I think being strategic about campaigning for, in this case, Measure G or any valid measures, is important,” he says.

Kevin Dayton, government affairs consultant for the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, said at the meeting more transparency and easy-to-understand information are needed to track money in and out and get more people—including business owners—on board.

Dayton’s comment resonates with me. It’s a comment I’ve heard from other Salinas residents, and makes me understand why the council wants to wait. But there is another part of myself that feels it is a decision that needs to be addressed immediately. 

I do wonder what other Salinas residents think about the council’s decision. Do you think they made the right call?

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