Advocates call for ballot measure to fund Sacramento youth programs

January 19, 2010  |  Sacramento Bee  |  Link to article

A collection of youth advocates and elected officials announced today they are working to place an initiative on the November ballot for city of Sacramento voters that would generate nearly $5 million a year for youth development programs.

The group - Sacramentans for Youth - has begun gathering signatures for a $29 parcel tax that would fund the Youth Jobs and Opportunity Act. The parcel tax, which would be added to city property tax bills, would generate $4.8 million a year for the next 10 years.

In order to qualify the initiative for the November ballot, the group needs to collect at least 20,691 signatures from city voters. More than 1,500 signatures have been gathered since last week and the campaign hopes to collect at least 30,000 signatures by the end of May.

"This proposal is a small price to pay to ensure that all kids get an education and can compete in the job market, and that becoming a productive member of our community is in the best interest of our families, our churches, our schools and, most importantly, our community at large," said Pastor Donald Leeper with Sacramento Area Congregations Together, which is involved in the campaign.

Much of the funding would go toward job creation and training programs for young people, including job placement, internships and apprenticeships. Money would also go toward funding after-school programs and attendance centers.

An 11-member commission would generate recommendations of how the revenue would be spent and pass those recommendations to the Sacramento City Council. The council would direct the city's Office of Youth Development how to run the programs.

Members of both the County Board of Supervisors and City Council tried to place a sales tax increase on the ballot in 2008 that would have funded youth and anti-gang measures, but failed to generate enough support. In addition to youth intervention measures, that tax would have funded enforcement and police efforts, something that is not included in the latest proposal.

County Supervisor Roger Dickinson and City Councilmembers Kevin McCarty and Ray Tretheway are supporting the campaign, as are many religious leaders and local labor union leader Bill Camp.