Concord City Council Places Measure Q Extension on November Ballot

Concord, California – The Concord City Council voted unanimously (5-0) to place a local
revenue extension measure for voter consideration on the November 2020 ballot. If enacted by
voters, the measure would extend the City’s existing, voter-approved Measure Q local funding at a
one-cent rate to maintain fiscal stability and continue addressing priorities identified by the public.

After conducting community outreach and engagement in 2019, the City continued to gather
community feedback in April – amid the pandemic – to determine residents’ priorities. Together,
more than 1,200 residents responded, identifying the following key services as top priorities to
address:

•  Supporting local businesses and residents through recovery from the COVID-19 crisis
• Maintaining 911 emergency response times
• Enhancing city street and pothole repair
• Preparing for and responding to natural disasters and health emergencies
• Maintaining gang prevention and crime investigation services

Independent public opinion research, conducted by Godbe Research, indicated that as much as 71%
of respondents would support a simple-majority requirement extension which, if enacted, would
generate local funds to continue to address essential quality of life, health and safety preparedness
services as cities around the nation contend with the impacts of COVID-19.

“We appreciate the community’s interest and participation in the past months, especially in these
times,” said City Manager Valerie Barone. “Extending this funding will be critical to addressing our
local needs with locally controlled funding that cannot be taken by the State, and at a time when we
cannot depend on adequate state or federal funding to address local relief and recovery efforts.”

If enacted, all funding from the measure would continue to be subject to independent annual financial
audits, public spending reports and an independent citizens’ oversight committee.