Section 3-26.120 Permissible uses: Expenditure Plan.
(A)
The revenues of the tax shall only be used to fund the following uses and purposes.
Funding with tax revenues of all other uses and purposes, except as provided in paragraphs (C) through (E) of this section, is prohibited.
(1
) LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
(a)
Law Enforcement and Police patrol services;
(b) Police traffic safety and enforcement services;
(c) Gang enforcement, school resource services, and violence reduction ; (d) Downtown, Railroad Square, Roseland and Southwest Santa Rosa, and Prince Memorial Greenway police services;
(e) Police support services, including facilities and equipment and the financing thereof;
(f) Mental health response teams, services and resources. (2
) FIREFIGHTING, PARAMEDICS, WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY
(a)
Programs and services to reduce wildfire risk, including early fire alerts, evacuation planning, defensible space inspections and vegetation management; (b) Prevent the closure of fire stations and construct/ relocate fire stations (including but not limited to land acquisition, facilities design, and use of temporary facilities) and the financing thereof;
(c) Maintain Firefighter and Paramedic staffing levels to maintain raid 9-1-1 emergency response times;
(d) Hire additional Firefighters and Paramedics to staff fire stations; (e) Establishment of additional paramedic units within the Fire Department, including Advanced Life Support paramedic teams;
(f) Purchase of specialized equipment for Fire Department use; (g) Mental health response teams, services and resources. (3
) VIOLENCE PREVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING AND
PROGRAMS FOR AT-RISK YOUTH AND FAMILIES
(
a) Enhancing and improving in-school gang prevention and intervention curriculum and programs;
(b) Providing mental health counseling, wraparound services and programs for at- risk youth and their families in neighborhoods affected by high levels of gang activity which emphasize positive role models, problem solving, and community safety;
ATTACHMENT 1
(c) Providing additional after-school and summer programs which stress academic and social success, recreational activities, sports, athletic programs, and safe neighborhoods without fear of gangs, drugs or violence. (d) Providing grants to organizations for youth and parenting programs which focus on gang and anti-violence education, prevention and intervention, community safety, and a comprehensive array of social services in high need neighborhoods.
(B) Of the tax revenues received by the City, forty percent (40%) shall be expended for Law Enforcement, Police and Public Safety purposes as specified in sections (a) through (f) of subparagraph (A)(1), forty percent (40%) shall be expended for Firefighting, Paramedics, Wildfire Risk Reduction and Public Safety purposes as specified in sections (a) through (g) of subparagraph (A)(2) and twenty percent (20%) shall be used to fund the Violence Prevention, Mental Health Counseling and Programs For At-Risk Youth and Families programs and purposes as specified in sections (a) through (d) of subparagraph (A) (3).
(DC) The tax revenues shall be used to enhance Police and Fire uses and purposes and Violence Prevention and Youth Programs as outlined in paragraph (A) and detailed in the Transactions and Use Tax Implementation Plan. Funding of the implementation plan may not be below the actual revenues received from the tax nor shall tax revenues be used to replace previously budgeted funds unless approved by six Council members based on a finding of fiscal crisis or catastrophic disaster. Tax revenues will not be used to supplant the general fund obligations to fund baseline services based upon population and economic conditions.
(D) The Council, by resolution, shall approve, and may from time to time amend when approved by six Council members, a Transaction and Use Tax Implementation Plan which shall outline the uses and purposes and their funding, as authorized by this section, to which the tax revenues will be applied.
(E) During the continuation of the tax, annual funding of Police Department, Fire Department and Gang Prevention/Intervention Programs’ purposes and uses that are funded under the City’s 2015-2016 fiscal year budget, as adopted on June 17, 2015, may not be a lower percentage of City General Fund expenditures than was funded under the City’s 2015-2016 fiscal year General Fund budget, as adopted on June 17, 2015, unless a lower level of funding is first approved by the affirmative vote of six Council members.
(F) The Council, by resolution, shall establish a seven member Citizen Oversight Committee to annually review expenditures and appropriations of the tax revenues to ensure that all such revenues are spent or appropriated for the purposes and uses set forth in paragraph (A), in accordance with the allocation percentages set forth in paragraph (B), and, as specifically authorized, in paragraphs (C), (D) and (E). Each member of the Council shall appoint one member of the Committee who shall have a term coinciding with the term of the appointing Council member. Each Committee member shall be a resident of the City at the time of appointment and shall remain a resident of the City while serving on the Committee. The Mayor shall appoint the chairperson of the Committee subject to the approval of the majority of the Council. The Committee shall receive the assistance of City staff and shall issue an annual public report on the expenditures and appropriations of the tax revenues. The Committee shall undertake such additional duties as the Council may designate.
3-26.160 Termination date.
The authority to levy the taxes imposed by this chapter shall extend only through March 31, 2043 or at the end of 20 years from the operative date if the operative date of the extended tax is later than April 1, 2043 as provided in Section 3-26.020.