Date of Award

Fall 2007

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

Cities are governed by common people, and people in all places have a common problem, that of making ends meet. For most everyone, our wants exceed our ability to pay and similarly, individuals are not unlike cities, made up of people who want to consume more services than revenues can support. Today, many cities are facing fiscal problems because the growth in the traditional tax base is proving insufficient with the desire for more services or the rising costs of existing ones.

This paper examines Measure V, the voter-approved ordinance in Salinas, California, that in 2006 increased the sales and use tax by one-half cent, and consequently, if the Measure has been effective in restoring vital public services to the residents of the City. To answer this question, financial documents were analyzed, key stakeholders were interviewed and City department directors were given an online survey. Those findings determined that departments did receive necessary funding, the citizen's oversight committee did fulfill its obligation to identify, prioritize and monitor the funding, and the City did implement Measure V successfully, resulting in the Measure's effectiveness to restore vital public services to the residents of Salinas, California.

In the midst of a budget crisis there are no simple solutions to municipal problems, but Salinas's local government regained its fiscal footing and restored essential services with its citizens' involvement to better serve a diverse and growing community.

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