Council OKs ballot measure affirming need for Measure DD

By Doug Spoon, Editor

In an effort to counter a recall measure and defend a city sales tax considered vital by city officials, the Menifee City Council on Wednesday approved placement of a ballot measure affirming the tax on the November ballot.

The Measure DD 1 percent sales tax, approved by 68 percent of voters in 2016, was described on the original election ballot, in part, as “keeping funds local. Yes on DD maintains 911 emergency response. Yes on DD maintains local streets and roads and repairs local interchanges and overpasses. Yes on DD improves traffic flow. Yes on DD maintains local police, fire and emergency services.” The entire ballot language for Measure DD can be found in this 2016 news article.

Since its adoption, funds collected through the Measure DD sales tax are approximately $33 million, Assistant City Manager Jeff Wyman reported in a May 14 meeting of the City Council. City officials anticipate collecting about $10 million more in the next fiscal year – about $7 million less than the amount generated this fiscal year because of lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those funds have been used to create a Menifee Police Department, to help fund completion of the Scott Road Interchange, purchase an emergency squad unit for the Sun City fire station, and more.

Measure DD does not have an expiration date, but opponents of the tax claim it is no longer necessary because of circumstances that have changed since 2016. Although it was not stated as a reason for Measure DD at that time, the 2016 ballot language approved by the City Council made reference to “Sacramento money grabs”, which amounted to a loss of $21 million to the City because of Gov. Jerry Brown’s removal of vehicle license fees from Menifee and other newly incorporated cities for a five-year period.

After Brown reinstated the VLF fees to Menifee in 2017, critics of Measure DD began arguing that the extra sales tax was no longer necessary. Some have argued on social media that Menifee has since been “double dipping”, unlike other cities – a statement that is false. Surrounding cities including Murrieta, Temecula, Wildomar, and Hemet – all of which also receive VLF fees – have similar separate taxes.

In the May 14 presentation to the City Council, Wyman described what the negative financial impact to the City would be with the loss of Measure DD – information gathered during a month-long study. Those included:

-- A loss of 17 percent of the overall City budget.

-- A loss of 29 percent of the budget for the Menifee Police Department (about a $4.3 million reduction); 25 percent of the Fire Department budget; 33 percent of the code enforcement budget; and 13 percent of the Capital Improvement Project (road improvements) budget.

-- A loss of 31 patrol officers on the police force, equating to 174 less patrol hours per day; possible closure of the police substation in Cherry Hills Plaza; and a lack of funds to pay the City’s share of the police dispatch agreement with the City of Murrieta.

-- The loss of the Fire Department’s medic squad, which was added to the new Fire Station 7 in the Sun City community two years ago, and the five personnel dedicated to it.

In Wyman’s proposal Wednesday regarding the affirmation ballot measure, he said a recent survey showed that a majority of residents support the public safety and infrastructure improvements made possible by Measure DD.

The measure that will ask Menifee residents in November to repeal Measure DD is co-authored by local resident John Smelser, who has tried twice before to get repeal measures on the ballot. This time he met all qualifications, including collecting more than 2,700 signatures on a recall petition.

City officials contend that many local residents are confused about the need for Measure DD and that many who have moved to Menifee since 2016 don’t even know what it is. By placing an affirmation measure on the ballot, they hope to clarify the issue and detail what they say would be vital consequences if Measure DD is removed.

If both the affirmation measure and the recall measure pass, the one with the largest margin of victory will be enacted.

“We need to start talking about this as the Quality of Life Initiative,” said council member Lesa Sobek during Wednesday’s meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Liesemeyer agreed.

“People don’t get it, and that’s troubling,” he said about those who oppose Measure DD. “I’m reluctant to put something out there that might add to the confusion. Part of me would like to see the repeal measure defeated on the merits of Measure DD alone. But do we want to take that chance?”

Although agreeing with the other council members about the need to keep Measure DD, Mayor Bill Zimmerman questioned the idea of an affirmation measure.

“We can still have opportunities to put out information without a ballot measure," Zimmerman said. "Let’s not confuse people even more.”

Residents wishing to keep Measure DD would be asked to vote “yes” on the affirmation measure and “no” on the repeal measure.

Sobek and council member Dean Deines discussed the possibility of waiting on a vote about the affirmation measure to more carefully consider the financial impact. But when council member Greg August made a motion to approve the measure, all but Zimmerman voted in favor.

Ballot language for the measure will be brought to the City Council at its July 1 meeting and for a second reading and adoption at its July 15 meeting.

According to the proposal that was approved by the council, the cost of placing the affirmation measure on the ballot will be between $33,000 and $44,000. City officials are not legally allowed to distribute materials urging a “yes” vote on the affirmation ballot measure, but they can continue to publish information about the positive impact of Measure DD on the City.