A 16-member committee in charge of overseeing funds generated from a half-cent sales tax has been formed and will host its first meeting April 1.
The Citizens Oversight Committee will review and report on all Measure P expenditure plans, financial reports and audits for compliance with Measure P, according to the city’s website.
Measure P, a temporary 10-year general sales tax, will be used to fund infrastructure improvements such as the replacement of storm drains, improvement of city parks and upgrading police and fire equipment. It is estimated the city will collect $178 million from the tax during the 10-year period.
Although 68 percent of Chula Vista voters overwhelmingly passed the measure in November, critics of the measure had argued that since revenue was going into the city’s general fund, not specifically earmarked for infrastructure, that the City Council would spend the money for other things and not for infrastructure improvements as it is intended.
The half-cent sales tax increase will put the sales tax in Chula Vista to 8.25 percent starting April 1 in correspondence with the committee’s first meeting.
Along with passing the measure, voters also voted for a citizens oversight committee to monitor the funds. The committee had to be formed with the approval of the measure.
Of the 49 applicants, 16 members were selected, 11 of them will serve as designated members who are nominated by local organizations and individuals such as the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce and Chula Vista police and fire chiefs. The remaining five members are at-large members selected from a pool of applicants who applied for the committee. At least one-at large member is appointed from each of the four council districts.
Designated members: Lileana Robles, nominated by Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment; Zulema Maldonado, nominated by the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce; Robert Ziomek, nominated by the Chula Vista fire chief; Donald Hunter nominated by the Chula Vista police chief; Leon Firsht, nominated by Chula Vista director of public works; Michael Lengyel, nominated by Chula Vista Growth Oversight Commission; Thomas Doyle, nominated by Chula Vista Parks and Recreation Commission; San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Union David Garcias; Todd Vorhees, nominated by San Diego Taxpayer Association; Robert Coleman, nominated by Chula Vista Sustainability Commision; and Silvestre Vigilante, nominated by Youth Sports Council.
At large members: District 1, Paula Whitsell; District 2, Christopher Redo; District 3, Jason Prater; District 4 Christopher Sheridan; and at-large any disteict Mona Freels.
The group was sworn-in on March 7.
