Merced Tax Transparency Commission Meeting - November 20, 2025
Merced Tax Transparency Commission Meeting - November 20, 2025
The Merced Tax Transparency Commission met on November 20, 2025, to review financial reports for Measures C and Y, address administrative inquiries, and postpone the election of a new chair. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the Tax Transparency Commission minutes of August 12, 2025, unanimously.
Discussion Items
- Measure C Revenue and Expense Reports (September 30, 2025): Finance Officer Venus Rodriguez presented the quarterly report. Fiscal year 2024-25 sales tax revenue under Measure C closed at $9 million, slightly below the budgeted $9.1 million. Quarter-over-quarter showed a positive increase of approximately $26,000. The commission approved the report unanimously.
- Measure Y Revenue and Expense Reports (September 30, 2025): The report showed fiscal year 2024-25 revenue closed just over $1.6 million, continuing a decline. Quarter-over-quarter decreased by about $30,000. The commission approved the report unanimously.
- Selection of New Chair (Postponed): The commission decided to postpone the election until the next meeting when all members are present. The motion passed unanimously.
- Request to Add Future Agenda Item: A commissioner asked about the "administration reimbursement" line item; staff clarified it covers internal costs for city manager, finance, etc. A separate request was made for details on why investment earnings came under projection; staff agreed to provide a report at the next meeting (scheduled for February).
- Commission Comments: A commissioner commented on the stress caused by ongoing road and utility projects in the city.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimously approved Measure C and Measure Y financial reports.
- Postponed the election of a new chair to the next meeting.
- Staff will prepare a report on investment earnings for the next meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Call this meeting to order. The City of Merced Tax Transparency Commission. November 20th, Thursday, 2000, 2025. We'll now do the Pledge of Allegiance. The United States of America. Next we have roll call. Okay, agenda item C, roll call. Commissioners Chu. Present. Garcia. Johnson? Here. Murphy. Here. Flores. Here. I'm so sorry if I butchered this, but it's a car. Present. Perfect. And then Vice Chair Kastecki. Okay. We do have two new members. I wanted to uh take a moment. Um if you guys would like to introduce yourselves, and then we also are going to um have staff members introduce themselves as well. Um so please go ahead. And do you need us to make the mic? Okay. Okay, yeah. Uh good evening, everyone. My name is Felipe Rojas Flores on District 2 Commissioner. Um, first meeting here. Excited to be here to work with everyone here. Good evening. Oh, I feel like I hear it louder than it is. Good evening, everyone. My name's Harpreet Takar, and excited to be here on the commission as well. Thank you. Commission members, good evening. I'm Frank Quintero. I'm the deputy city manager, and uh welcome aboard to our two new commission members. Uh and I'm also going to share with you this evening that uh our board clerk, this will be her last meeting with us. Uh Alejandra will be taking a job with another public agency, and we will miss her. And we're here to say thank you for all your years of service and being what keeps us together here at the Tax Transparency Commission meeting. And now I'm gonna ask uh our staff members in the back if they please come up and introduce themselves. Good evening, Commissioner Casey Wilson, fire chief of the fire department. Uh, thank you so much for being here this evening and willing to participate in the commission. And uh Alejandro will miss you. Hello, I'm Steve Stanfield. I'm the chief of police, and uh I also serve as the uh contract chief for Merced City College, too. So we have a dual role in my role, and uh, we will miss you.
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