Mayor Steinberg: City has spent more than $70 million so far to fulfill Measure U promise

Mayor Darrell Steinberg appeared before the Measure U Community Advisory Committee on Monday, June 15 and detailed more than $72 million the City has spent or is in the process of spending to help disadvantaged communities and promote neighborhood economic development over the past year and a half. Watch his presentation above. Following is a list of items the City has funded either with money from the new Measure U sales tax approved in November 2018 or from the federal stimulus bill passed to address the severe impacts of Covid-19.

Because Covid-19 has depressed expected revenue to the City by about $90 million, Measure U tax money that would have gone for neighborhood investments in next year’s budget has instead been used to avoid mass layoffs and service cuts at the City. The federal stimulus is temporarily standing in as a funding source for those priorities.

Mayor Steinberg has made it clear that he remains committed to using the second half cent of Measure U, about $50 million a year, for economic development, youth, workforce training and homelessness and housing in the coming years, once the economy restarts.

“I ran for this office because I wanted to see a city that defines its core responsibility as more than just providing core services,” he said. “The growth in Sacramento is good, but it’s only good if it’s tied to our neighborhoods, and especially to the young people in our neighborhoods.”

More help is on the way. The City Council still has to allocate another $55.6 million in federal stimulus funding before the end of December. The Council has embraced a general framework that divides it into these categories: Small business recovery and assistance; youth and workforce training; homelessness and rapid rehousing; arts, the creative economy and tourism and other social services.

Youth

Youth Pop Up events (program overseen by Sierra Health Foundation: $4.6 million

Rehab of old Cal Skate roller rink into Simmons Center: $350,000

Youth job training and development: $500,000

Youth mental health: $1.3 million

Youth enrichment (summer program) $2.25 million

Advanced Peace $750,000

La Familia Center: $350,000

Del Paso sports complex $2.25 million

Thousand Strong internship program: $774,000

Summer Night Lights: $650,000

North Area Freedom Schools: $290,000

Kindergarten to College Savings accounts: $150,000

Fare-free transit on RT for youth: $1 million

Extension of Grant Union High School pool hours: $40,000

Small business

$11.1 million in forgivable loans to help businesses hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic. $7.5 million specifically reserved by small businesses and micro-businesses in disadvantaged areas.

Homelessness

Construction of new homeless shelters: $16 million

Homelessness response: to Covid-19: $2.1 million

Emergency homeless encampment cleanup: $918,000

Homelessness/meth detox center: $1 million

St. John’s Shelter expansion: $700,000

City of Refuge shelter expansion: $300,000

Neighborhood, housing specialists

Expansion of the economic development department to include neighborhood specialists and a housing specialist: $11 million  

 Families  

Rental mediation: $150,000

Central Labor Council hotline to help unemployed people get help: $250,000

Food insecurity: $250,000

Financial literacy: $150,000

Family mental health initiatives: $250,000

Domestic violence intervention: $2 million

Digital divide (free internet for low-income families for six months) $1.05 million

Community outreach: $500,000

Council community impact funding: $450,000

Great Plates Delivered (city match); $250,000

Creative economy

$7.5 million to help arts and cultural institutions, creators and non-profits hurt by Covid-19.