Posted on February 25, 2019 at 10:23 AM by Maggie Le
Measure HH Oversight Committee’s Report on 2017/18 Audited Revenues & Expenditures
The Measure HH Oversight Committee reported to the City Council on February 5, 2019, that audited Measure HH revenues and expenditures for 2017/18 are consistent with the intent of the Measure HH ballot measure and the Responsible Spending Pledge. The Oversight Committee’s report on Fiscal Year 2017/18 (which includes the auditor’s report) can be found along with other reports issued by the Oversight Committee.
In 2016 the residents of Fountain Valley approved Measure HH, a one-percent transactions and use (i.e. “sales”) tax, which provided additional tax revenue in the amount of approximately $11.8 million in Fiscal Year 2017/18. The use of Measure HH is guided by the City’s Responsible Spending Pledge and the 20-Year Financial Plan, where the goal is to pay off all debt and to have a balanced operating budget in 2037 when Measure HH sunsets. Accountability and transparency are built into the process. For example, the Oversight Committee met eight (8) times over the past eighteen (18) months to ensure that Measure HH funds are spent as promised.
White Nelson Diehl Evans, an independent certified public accounting firm, conducted an audit on the Fiscal Year 2017/18 and concluded that the City complied with the reporting requirements of Measure HH and that the Schedule of Measure HH Revenues and Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2017/18 is accurately reflected.
The 2017/18 auditor’s report reflected that Measure HH was used to maintain essential city services for public safety and senior and youth programs in an amount totaling $2.2 million. In addition, Measure HH expenditures included one-time expenditures of $441,560 for capital improvements and $2.2 million that was used to make additional payments to CalPERS towards unfunded pension liabilities. The balance of Measure HH funds, at approximately $6.9 million, was set aside for reserves.