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STRONG COMMUNITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019-20
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RECOMMENDATION
This item is an informational item submitting the Strong Communities Advisory Committee Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2019-20 to the City Council.
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Summary
Stockton’s voters approved a one-quarter cent sales tax dedicated to enhancing City recreation and library programs, services, and facilities known as Strong Communities (Measure M) on November 8, 2016. The measure also established a citizens’ advisory committee to determine whether expenditures were made consistent with program guidelines and to provide an annual report to the City Council and the public.
The Measure M Annual Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 (Attachment A) as approved by the Strong Communities Advisory Committee on February 23, 2022 is presented to the City Council in compliance with the program guidelines.
DISCUSSION
Background
Stockton’s voters approved Strong Communities (Measure M) November 8, 2016. This one-quarter cent (0.25%) transaction and use tax (sales tax) went into effect on April 1, 2017. Strong Communities is a special tax dedicated to enhancing City recreation and library programs, services, and facilities. The ordinance authorizing the tax requires an audit performed by an independent certified public accountant and the establishment of an advisory committee to ensure proper use of the revenues. The Strong Communities Advisory Committee has the responsibility to determine whether expenditures were made consistent with the ordinance. Furthermore, the Council Policy establishing the advisory committee requires an annual report to be submitted to the City Council.
The attached Strong Communities Annual Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 (Attachment A) is presented to the City Council for review in compliance with the ordinance and committee policy.
Present Situation
Total revenues in FY 2019-20 were $12,168,803. The Strong Communities expenditures totaled $6,608,926 in FY 2019-20. Recreation and Library Programs represented 83% of all expenses, 12% was used for Administration and the State of California to collect the tax revenues, with the remainder used for capital projects.
The City used Strong Communities funds to:
- Maintained extended hours at Community Centers and Libraries.
- Increased number of adult sport seasons to meet the demand for softball, kickball, and basketball.
- Increased youth sports programming by adding a summer sports camps series for conditioning and skills development.
- Maintained enhanced hours until pandemic closed all facilities due to stay-at-home orders. Reopened Libraries in June 2020 with lobby service to assist patrons by filling holds and providing reference services.
- Libraries provided 1,681 free programs across the City of Stockton.
- Completed new infield conditioning at Louis Park Softball Complex and Misty Holt Singh Softball Complex.
- Continued with annual overseeding project at Stockton Soccer Complex to maintain turf at optimum playing level.
- Replaced City’s Christmas lights with new low energy LED lights.
- Completed court resurfacing of each Community Center gym floor.
- Completed extensive interior refresh for the Troke Branch Library.
- Completed design for the new Northeast Library & Community Center.
- Increased the program offerings to underserved preschool aged children with our Mini Movers, a program to engage parents and their young children in physical activities.
- Received an $8.5 Million grant from the State Department of Parks and Recreation for the renovation of McKinley Park.
- Continued to package and distribute over 4,500 meals per month through our Community Centers.
- Designed and opened a Micro Library in the Van Buskirk Community Center.
- Enhanced Internet connectivity for patrons in Libraries and Community Centers.
- In collaboration with Paul Singh and family, renamed the McNair Softball Complex the Misty Holt Singh Softball Complex.
- With a grant from Community Foundation of San Joaquin, began training Community Center staff on “Alive and Free,” a Bay Area based program designed to keep young people alive and free, unharmed by violence, and free from incarceration.
- Partnered with California Conservation Corps Delta Center (CCC) to submit California Proposition 68 grant designated for CCC centers to train Corpsmembers while completing “Climate Preparedness, Habitat Resiliency, Resource Enhancement, and Innovation” at the former Van Buskirk Golf Course.
- Partnered with Beyond Our Gates to provide the LENA Start program, an early literacy program designed to encourage speech and vocabulary growth in children 0-36 months.
- Partnered with community members for the first In Conversation program: “Authors Celebrate Stockton” at the Cesar Chavez Central Library.
- Partnered with the Stockton Heat to present the Library's Winter Reading Program.
The financial information included in this Annual Report is based on the annual audit. The City received an unmodified (clean) opinion. Staff reported the FY 2019-20 audited Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures, and Change in Fund Balance to the Council Audit Committee and to the City Council in December 2020. The Strong Communities Advisory Committee discussed the FY 2019-20 Annual Report for presentation to the Council and the public at its September 22, 2021 meeting and approved the report at its February 23, 2022 meeting.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact from the presentation of this report.
Attachment A - Strong Communities Advisory Committee Annual Report FY 2019-20