Update: As predicted, the state budget will be "balanced" in part by taking revenue from local governments. Read Timm Herdt's story here.

ALTHOUGH THE IDEA of increasing Ventura's sales tax in a recession may not be playing well in all corners, if the measure passes in November, it will generate an extra estimated $8 million annually over the next four years that all stays in Ventura. Currently only a small percentage of the sales tax we pay stays local.

This comes as the governor and our legislators have devised various methods of snatching even more local revenues. The May revise floated a proposal to borrow eight percent of property tax receipts from cities, counties, and special districts received in 2008‑09. Another recent scheme was proposed to divert gas tax money up to Sacramento that is used to maintain local streets. It's no wonder that the League of California Cities is up in arms against these deals.

Two other bills, SB 80 and SB 3x 29, would send redevelopment agency money to K-12 schools that cities now use for construction projects. Last year the California Redevelopment Association successfully sued the state to stop a similar bill.

City officials recently estimated Ventura could lose nearly $3 million in revenues to Sacramento on top of the difficult $11 million in service cuts and pay reductions already made to balance the current two-year budget.

The proposed 1/2-cent sales tax increase, which will sunset in four years, will cost each resident 22 cents a day, according to the city's finance staff. With a majority vote required and not a 2/3, it's similar to general-use measures recently passed in the neighboring cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

THE SPENDING PLAN for the proposed revenue increase was outlined by staff and voted on by Council Monday night. It's a list of priority items which have suffered in the recent round of cuts:

• 40 percent will go to public safety, which will include restoring and supplementing our roving Medic Engine 10 service and the Downtown foot patrols. Recent requests for federal COPS grants were not successful.
• 35 percent will go to street repair, infrastructure maintenance, parks and public transit.
• 15 percent will go toward clean and safe beaches, which will include money to help Pierpont Beach residents with their weighty sand issues and more to help the city meet new costly federal and state water quality requirements.
• 6 percent will go to supplement county funding for our libraries.
• 4 percent will go toward maintaining and building effective community partnerships, which include social services grants and cultural grants to local non-profits.
  

An 11-member citizen advisory committee would be appointed to oversee the expenditures. Recent polling and past voting on Measure P6 shows the new measure has a decent chance of passage. 

As the current dysfunction in Sacramento goes on, it's a safe bet that school districts, cities and counties will work for more local control of funds.

VENTURA CITIZENS WILL HAVE one more thing to vote on this fall if the advice of the Citizen Blue Ribbon Budget Committee is taken by the Ventura City Council, as it surely will be.

On an 11-4 vote, the 15-member group decided to recommend a 1/2-cent sales tax measure be placed on the November ballot. Since it will not dedicate funds for a specific purpose, it will only require a simple majority vote. However, the group voted to ask that priority be given to public safety, infrastructure, libraries, and economic revitalization, in addition to shoring up the city's reserves. The measure would sunset in four years.

Watching the committee push this tax measure out was sort of like watching natural childbirth when you already knew it was going to be a boy. It was a bit difficult to watch at times and of course there was the requisite huffing and puffing.

In a speech that would do Grover "Let's drown government in a bathub" Norquist proud, one committee member wished wrack and ruin on the entire city. It goes without saying he was one of the four voting no.

As always, these citizen committees are good theater. I just wish more folks would show up to add their thoughts. I counted 12 in the audience tonight, if you subtracted the three city employees, and the Star blogger and reporter. Last week there were about six speakers. At the recent special budget presentation at City Hall, 41 showed up, but I recognized many of those as city employees and volunteers.

I think  "American Idol" has started up again on Wednesday nights. That must be it.

I DO COMMEND THESE 15 folks for doing their homework and polling their acquaintances on their thoughts. And while I didn't agree with some of the speakers, especially those who were particularly hostile and got their facts mixed up, they cared enough to participate. Good for them.

Committee member Bob Berry wondered out loud why they were even there: "I think the City Council is looking for cover."

I was especially impressed with the comments made by Committee Vice Chair Michael Case, while speaking to trust issues. Case once ran for Congress against Elton Gallegly. "Government is very transparent as compared to business," Case pointed out. "The government is merely an extension of us. Even though I've had differences with city officials, I realize they're trying to do their best."

And it was nice to see former Ventura City Manager Ed McCombs again. "This is a much more vital and exciting city -- one that offers a whole lot more to its citizens than when I moved here in 1970," McCombs said. "But when budgets are cut and cut, you lose a lot of things quickly."

The timing of this sales tax measure is terrible, coming after May's multitude of tax-related state ballot measures. It will share ballot space with the view initiative and the anti-big box ordinance, not to mention City Council and Board of Education races.

Given Ventura's propensity for dotting every square inch of public space with campaign signs, these extra measures will surely add to the visual pollution.

If only our citizens had such enthusiam for public meetings to discuss their future.