Council members hail passage of Measure DD as vital

It's no secret that "tax" is a dirty word in the eyes of many, and Menifee city officials admit being concerned about whether a negative effect from recent city controversies would kill what they considered a crucial ballot measure to protect the city's future.

It was thus with a certain element of surprise -- and relief -- that they woke up this morning to learn that Measure DD had been approved by voters by a wide margin.

Measure DD creates a 1 percent sales tax increase on items such as dining at Menifee restaurants, non-food grocery items and other specific purchases within the city. Items such as food grocery items and gasoline will not be taxed, nor is residents' utility bills or property tax affected.

According to the ballot measure language, the extra penny on each dollar will be used to help fund city "vital services", which are defined as public safety and city infrastructure, including road improvements. City officials have repeatedly provided residents with explanations of why the funds are needed -- most notably, to pay for additional police services in light of an annual shortfall of more than $4 million due to Governor Brown's decision not to allow Menifee and three other Riverside County cities their share of vehicle license fees.

Even so, it was nervous time until the final results were in. Measure DD passed with 67 percent of the vote, garnering 14,319 votes for "yes" compared to 7,011 "no" votes.

"When I read the results again this morning, I took a deep breath and said, 'It's a great day in Menifee,' " council member Lesa Sobek said. "The reason I felt that way is ... if you've ever lived on a shoestring budget and you had to decide week to week, do I buy groceries, pay a bill or buy a new pair of shoes for my kids? I felt like we had sunshine in our life today."

Sobek (left) said she had wondered about the vote after attending several public forums on Measure DD that was sparsely attended and reading many negative comments on social media. In the end, however, she believed that residents who took the time to study the issue realized the importance of the tax.

"I was surprised," she said about the wide margin of victory. "I was reading the comments on Menifee 24/7 and it concerned me. My heart was heavy. It's like we were shooting ourselves in the foot.

"Everybody county-wide saw the need in the city of Menifee. Every city is experiencing the tightness in their budget because of the high cost of public safety. In the end, enough people understood we're one of the few cities that doesn't receive the VLF fees. It has robbed us of our income."

Last May, Riverside County Supervisors approved a 7.46 percent increase in the cost of Sheriff's Department deputies to the 17 cities in the county that contract with the department -- including Menifee. The cost per deputy will increase from $149.09 to $160.22 per hour, which includes benefits. This follows a 7 percent increase the previous year.

The City of Menifee pays $11.4 million per year to the Sheriff's Department for police services -- roughly 40 percent of the general fund. That pays for an average of 10-15 officers a day in three shifts. That works out to less than .5 officers per 1,000 residents -- about half of county guidelines.

According to a document presented to the City Council in February, violent crimes in Menifee have risen from 64 in 2010 to 107 in 2014, the last year for which complete numbers are available. Property crimes have risen from 1,339 in 2010 to 1,501 in 2014.

Add the expense of Fire Department services, and public safety takes up 64 percent of the city's general fund. Even with significant cuts to the budget in the last year, Menifee would be hard-pressed to contract for more Sheriff's deputies without Measure DD. Considering that the passage of Prop. 57 Tuesday will allow for the early release of more felons, there is concern about public safety in the city.

The question many opponents of Measure DD have is this: What assurances do they have that the money will be spent solely on public safety and infrastructure? Even though Mayor Scott Mann's admitted misappropriation of nearly $45,000 in campaign funds didn't involve city funds, many residents seem to have trouble separating that act from the way in which city officials promise Measure DD funds will be used. An additional controversy over a $12,400 check written by City Manager Rob Johnson to Mann for a leadership seminar at Harvard increased public skepticism on some fronts.

Sobek's hope is that the change in mayor to Neil Winter -- who defeated Mann -- and strong oversight of the Measure DD funds will enable the city to move forward and rebuild trust with those who voted against the ballot measure.

"The constituents have spoken," Sobek said. "We will have a new mayor starting in December. I'm looking forward to a new council that will work together to keep Menifee safe and bring the quality infrastructure, businesses, and work force that is needed here."

According to the City of Menifee website, Measure DD funds "will be carefully monitored with annual independent financial audits and public review." Council member Matt Liesemeyer (right) said the specifics of that monitoring will be a priority with the council before the tax takes effect in January.

"I'm very happy for the City this morning," Liesemeyer said Wednesday. "This extra revenue the City will capture, I believe, will help make things easier for staff to budget for the things a City of our size and population need.

"We need to increase public safety and we need more boots on the ground. That will be my primary focus for this new funding. For the skeptics, I know actions speak louder that words and I/we have to prove to them that we are looking out for the public's best interest. I will be discussing the oversight ideas I have before the City ever starts receiving this money, but already the council agreed to have a policy to revisit this on a regular basis to make sure it's needed and not being wasted.

"City Management has made many cuts, and then cut some more after that. There comes a point when you start to do some real damage with the cuts being made, and that's where I think we are. I'm very thankful to the voters who approved this so we we can stem off the cuts and look to the future."