Measure N - Your Essential Services

In response to needs in Police, Fire, Streets and Parks, the City of Visalia sought a stable source of funding for essential city services such as police and fire, as well as maintenance of our parks, roads, and City owned facilities. Essential services are the backbone of any community and Measure N - The Visalia Essential City Services Measure was approved as the citizens of Visalia voted yes on Measure N, with over 65% of those voting supporting the measure.

In addition to essential services, Measure N funds maintenance necessities and sets aside funding for emerging needs. The plan specifies funding for the maintenance of City-owned facilities and the enhancement of Youth Programs.

Measure N began on April 1, 2017 and instituted a .5% (half-cent) increase to the Transactions and Use Tax (commonly known as sales tax) levied on transactions within the City of Visalia. The proceeds of this tax will be controlled directly by the City of Visalia and not subject to control by the State of California.

Transparency is a key component to Measure N. If you would like additional information not found below, contact Jana Ferguson, Financial Analyst at 559-713-4429 or [email protected].

What Measure N Provides

Measure N, a 1/2 cent sales tax, addresses public safety services, repair, and maintenance for streets and roads and maintenance of parks, trails, and City owned facilities and youth services. Measure N provides the City of Visalia with a reliable, ongoing, local source of funding that is not controlled by Sacramento but is locally controlled with citizen oversight.

According to an initial plan that has been adopted by the Visalia City Council, priorities for Measure N funding are:

Maintaining 911 emergency, police patrols and fire response times
Enhancing Youth Service Programs
Maintaining local streets, parks, trails and City owned facilities

Learn More About Measure N:

Citizen Committee Findings

During 2015 and 2016, two citizen committees studied the issues at hand. To see the presentation made to City Council by the Bond Measure Advisory Committee (BMAC), click here.

Department Objectives Presentations

Public Safety: Soaring demand for services, but Measure T annual sales tax receipts are $1.1 million less than projections from 10 years ago. Currently, Police and Fire are unable to meet adequate staffing and facilities demand to maintain the expected "quality of life" target. For more information on police services, click here. For more information on fire services, click here.

Public Works/Road Conditions: At current recession level funding, in 20 years street services will have deteriorated to the point that it would require $23 million annually to recover over the next two decades. For more information on streets and road conditions, click here.

Parks & Recreation Services: Current staffing budget is insufficient to maintain parks, new trails and enhanced youth services at the same quality that has been traditionally expected in Visalia.

Building Maintenance: Committee members toured several City facilities to observe their current conditions due to deferred maintenance projects.

Overall Staffing: Pre-recession, Visalia had 5.7 employees per 1,000 people. Today, there are 4.8 employees per 1,000 people.

Comparing Revenue Sources: Visalia does not have a utility tax, but does have a local .25% Public Safety (Measure T) sales tax.

Nearby Cities: The nearby cities of Tulare, Dinuba, Porterville and Lindsay all have local 6% or 7% utility taxes plus local sales tax overrides of .5% or .75%. For more information on Visalia's narrow tax base, click here.