Measure U continues to deliver on promises in proposed Sacramento city budget
Sacramento, CA (May 2, 2023) - Funds generated by the voter-approved Measure U will continue to pay for youth services, community projects, and reducing homelessness under the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023/24.
Made permanent by voters in 2018, the Measure U sales tax now comprises just over $135 million of the $1.5 billion city budget. The 2018 vote also raised Measure U from a half-cent to a full cent.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg at a youth pop up in South Sacramento.
“When we went to the voters and asked them to renew Measure U with an additional half-cent, we promised we would fight to put that money right back to work in our community, and we’ve kept that promise,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
Because Measure U is a general tax — legally it’s part of the general fund — it has been up to the mayor and City Council to make sure expenditures fulfilled the promise of greater community investment.
In the current fiscal year of 2022/23, youth programming was the largest category of Measure U spending at $28 million dollars. That category included such line items as free transit passes for youth, pop-up events on weekend nights, gang intervention and violence prevention, youth employment programs, Camp Sacramento, and other popular recreation programs.
Community Investments were the next largest category of Measure U spending, at more than $26 million. This category includes a wide range of expenditures, such as park improvements, special events, and assistance for residents in paying their utility bills.
Nick Golling from Sacramento’s Department of Community Response out in the W/X corridor.
The Department of Community Response (DCR) and homelessness services account for a combined $35 million in spending, $24 million, and $11 million, respectively. DCR provides an alternative response to homelessness and mental health calls. Homelessness funding went primarily to coordinating with various federal, state, local, nonprofit, and faith-based entities to conduct outreach and provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The bulk of the city’s sheltering effort relies on allocations in the state budget.
The pattern of spending from Measure U over the past four years — combined with other parts of the city budget — also reflects Mayor Steinberg’s campaign pledge to reinvest in neighborhoods. Here are some highlights for the period from 2018/19 and 2021/22:
One of the most recent affordable housing projects opening in Sacramento. This one was located on surplus state property in downtown.
$260.6 million on new investments to expand opportunities in underserved neighborhoods
$106 million to create new affordable housing and address homelessness. Affordable housing production is up from 481 units a year in 2019 to more than 2,000 a year in 2021 and 2022.
$52.6 million on youth programs and facilities such as the restoration of the Iceland skating rink; safe activities for teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights; a citywide college savings program and youth job opportunities.
The proposed budget is scheduled to go to the City Council’s Budget and Audit Committee and to the City Council on May 9, followed by a month of hearings and an anticipated June 13 adoption.
Here is the budget hearing schedule:
