LAKE COUNTY ? A new committee is forming to advise the Lakeport City Council about how to spend Measure I money.
Measure I, approved by voters in 2004, is a half-percent sales tax increase to generate money for repair and maintenance of city streets, parks, community service facilities and expansion of public services and programs. Measure J passed at the same time, which allows voters to voice their opinions about how the money should be spent.
“There seems to have been a lot of confusion about what the money is for ? many think it”s just for roads,” Lakeport City Councilwoman Suzanne Lyons said.
Lakeport Mayor Ron Bertsch appointed Lyons the head of the new committee, and directed her to notify the public and solicit applications. Any Lakeport resident may pick up a committee application at Lakeport City Hall, located at 225 Park St. in Lakeport.
Lyons said applications should be submitted by Feb. 25 for consideration. Each city council member will appoint one committee member, but more than five members may be assigned if there is “a lot of interest,” according to a written statement from Lyons.
“A lot of people are upset that some of the things we have spent the money on are not streets, but they”re part of what it was originally supposed to be used for. With the public being able to have input, hopefully the public will feel better about it ? and we”ll have an idea of what the public wants,” Lyons said.
According to a Measure I accounting summary in Lakeport”s 2008-09 budget, the city received just less than $750,000 of Measure I money for the 2007-08 fiscal year. In that time, the city spent the money on chip seal preparation for road projects, Public Works supplies and materials, a grinder and South Main Street repaving and Westshore Pool restoration.
Since the money started coming in 2005, the city has received more than $1.9 million of Measure I funds. Of that, the city has spent more than $1 million on its streets and just less than $250,000 on pool restoration.
The summary says the city anticipates receiving $675,000 this fiscal year, and plans to spend more than $2.2 million on road projects, storm damage repair and a Forbes Creek Trail grant. According to the summary, the city expects more than $1.3 million of that money to be reimbursed from outside sources that are not specified.
The Measure I summary is available online at www.cityoflakeport.com. Under the “Hot Topics” heading on the left of the screen, click on “Business Plan, Budget & Measure I Summary.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
