Mayor Chris Branscum and Marysville City Council discuss the importance of Measure C being worded accurately, specifically due to the possibility of the Taxpayer Protection Act passing in the November election.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The expiration date for millions of dollars in city revenue is 2026.

Measure C, a one-cent sales and transactional use tax that equals one-third of Marysville's General Fund account, will expire if voters do not approve it again. This is the first attempt to renew the tax since 2016. 

At the June 18 regularly scheduled Marysville City Council meeting, Mayor Chris Branscum read the legal paperwork necessary to place Measure C back on the ballot and, more specifically, ensure the language was correctly worded.

"With this language to appear on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot for constituents to consider the renewal of the transactions and use tax measure," Branscum said before handing the discussion to City Manager Jim Schaad.

Schaad said, "As most people know, our Measure C, the 1-cent per dollar tax measure on sales tax, supplements the one percent we receive through the state tax of 7.25 percent."

"It represents roughly $3.9 million worth of revenue to the city, which is a third of our General Fund revenue at this point," Schaad said.

The city manager said Measure C's renewal is "important to the city's continued prosperity and its forward momentum."

"Therefore, I am recommending that the council take those actions to place the item on the ballot," Shaad said. "And I will leave it at that."

Councilmember Brad Hudson agreed.

"This was put out eight years ago, and it has made a huge difference for the city and Marysville," Hudson said, noting the general revenues augment fire, police and public works departments. "I do believe if we were to let this expire on the sunset clause that happens in 2026, it would be exceptionally detrimental."

Hudson said the noted departments are "crucial to Marysville," adding that "it is not a special measure tax, it is a General Fund tax, and we have diligently put it toward what we said we would do."

Alongside public safety funding, Measure C makes possible road repairs and quiet zone studies, Hudson said, noting he worries about what happens if the tax does not pass. 

"I do not want to have to let people go within the city," Hudson said, recalling when he was a public employee more than a decade ago. "Things were difficult back then."

Councilmember Dominique Belza said that the measure comes during a presidential election and there are "many, many items" on the ballot, including the Taxpayer Protection Act, which he said, "brings major transparency to taxes being implemented."

"This ballot language is transparent enough for the voter to make an informed decision on if they want to continue to pay this tax or not,” Belza said.

Vice-Mayor Bruce Buttacavoli said that specialized attorneys reviewed the rhetoric "to ensure that if the Taxpayer Protection Act is passed alongside this, we would be protected from any possibility of having it withdrawn from us."

Every word matters, Buttacavoli added.

"We have gotten it as clear as possible in a legal form that it could be," Buttacavoli said.

Buttacavoli abstained from voting. The other councilmembers approved the ballot language and measure seen below:

"Shall the measure, without raising taxes, to protect and maintain City of Marysville services including Police and Fire Departments, essential services, neighborhood police patrols, 911 emergency response times, street/pothole repairs, emergency preparedness and for general government use, to continue an existing voter-approved 1-cent sales, until ended by voters, providing an estimated 3.9 million a year, with independent audits, an oversight committee and all money locally, controlled, be adopted?"

Branscum agreed with council members on the importance of the Taxpayer Protection Act, noting that it might not pass. The bottom line is that the measure is essential enough for the mayor to say yes while encouraging others to do the same. 

"I will be out knocking on doors for this matter," Branscum said.