City staff urges Oxnard City Council to place Measure O renewal on Nov. 3 ballot

Eric Sonstegard, the City of Oxnard assistant city manager, told the City Council on June 16 that staff recommends placing a renewal of Measure O — a half‑cent transactions and use sales tax — on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.

Sonstegard said the proposed resolution would be titled "A resolution of the City Council of the City of Oxnard, California, ordering an election to be held on November 3rd, 2026 to consider the adoption of a measure entitled, 'City of Oxnard Public Safety Financial Stability Measure, No Tax Rate Increase'." He added that staff will request that the county clerk conduct the election and that the Board of Supervisors canvass the returns.

Why it matters: Measure O, approved by voters in 2008, provides local funding for police and fire services, 911 emergency response, street paving and pothole repair, and youth and senior programs. "Measure O sunsets in March of 2029 unless renewed by voters," Sonstegard said. He told the council the measure "generates approximately $20 million annually," and that revenue has ranged from nearly $9 million at its origin to about $21.4 million in peak years. From fiscal 2022‑23 through fiscal 2025‑26, roughly $36 million of Measure O funds were budgeted for street resurfacing.

Staff presented a draft Measure O budget for 2026‑27 that recommends $19.5 million in expenditures funded by Measure O revenues, and warned that ending the measure would create "approximately a $20 million annual revenue gap beginning in 2029." The presentation also cited improvements in the city's fiscal position, including restoring general fund reserves from about 2.2% of operating expenses in 2021 to 16.6% in 2024 and receiving nine S&P credit rating upgrades in the last four years.

Sonstegard emphasized the renewal would not increase the sales tax rate. Oxnard's current sales tax rate is 9.25%, and staff said the city's rate would remain the same if the half‑cent measure is renewed. As staff noted, many other jurisdictions in Ventura County fund some services through property taxes or special districts; renewing Measure O would continue a locally controlled revenue source rather than altering the citywide rate.

Key provisions staff outlined for the proposed ballot measure include extending the half‑cent at the existing rate until ended by voters, dedicating all revenues to maintaining city services with no tax rate increase, continuing independent audits and citizen oversight, and keeping revenues local.

Next steps: Sonstegard told the council that placing the measure on the November ballot requires a two‑thirds vote of the City Council to approve placement; the council would be acting to refer the question to voters, not to set or raise the tax itself. If the council votes to adopt the resolution, the measure would appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot for voters to decide.