The voters of Antioch approved Measure W Tuesday night in overwhelming support with 63.96% approval which will now add an estimated $14 million in revenue to the city.
Measure W will now replace Measure C which had a ½ cent sales tax and the city will now have a 1% sales tax for the next 20-years. The goal was to maintain fiscal stability, police patrols, 911 emergency response, youth violence prevention programs; ensuring water quality/safety; repairing streets; cleaning up parks/illegal dumping; restoring youth afterschool/summer programs; other essential services.
The vote was not even close as 10,426 voters (63.96%) supported the measure against 5,875 (36.04%) who did not support it.
Mayor Sean Wright thanked volunteers and supporters Tuesday night who put their time and energy into the Measure. He also called this a major opportunity for Antioch.
“I promise that I will push our council to increase our police force, create more youth programs and hire more code enforcement personnel to make our community cleaner,” said Wright.
Wright added that he is going to push the council to approve 1 officer per 1,000 residents ratio which would allocate funding to the Antioch Police Department for 115 officers.
It wasn’t easy for the City Council to place Measure W on the ballot after they held multiple special city council meetings to approve language and gain a majority to place it on the ballot.
In August, Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson voted against their own proposal at one point because Mayor Sean Wright and councilmembers Lori Ogrochock and Tony Tiscareno requested and approved a Citizens Oversight Committee and Sunset be added to the proposal–Thorpe and Wilson fought the addition. Wright, Ogorchock and Thorpe also requested that in the proposal, more funding and emphasis be placed on Police Services and Code Enforcement and agreed in concept that 80% be allocated.
At the August 8 meeting, Thorpe said he and Wilson votes were “symbolic” and were trying to make sure the Measure had the strongest possibility of passing.
The Antioch City Council will decide how to begin allocating Measure W funding during the budget cycle in early 2019.
12 comments
So, if I’m reading this correctly. In a city of 111,674, only 16,301 voted?
they kept counting until W won
50 per cent or more of the people in Antioch are children.
Good point, didn’t think about that.
Still a very poor turn out but typical for Antioch.
AWESOME…bring on the officers ASAP
Code enforcement should be NUMBER 1 priority. Clean-up our neighborhoods!
Since it was put on the ballot it city council it needed 66 2/3 to pass so it didn’t pass.
Haven’t they learned anything do not say there going to get 115 police there has been a open recruiting effort since measure c and staff is still not at full level.they throw that at mayor wade Harper everytime they get a chance . Frist off it’s not 14 million extra measure c brought in 7 million witch is already in the budget for the 102 officers and spent so it’s only 7 million more and they just agreed to labor contracts worth 9 million over 4 years .Quick math 2 million upside down. Not sure how there going to add another 13 officers code enforcement and free stuff for under Privilidge kids “O my bad youth services “
Julio good stereotype bro way to be positive fag
Just stating the facts
Over 10,000 voters still asleep with the city in their bank accounts and planning the next heist.
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