Measure U Community Advisory Commission Meeting – August 18, 2025

The Measure U Community Advisory Commission met on Monday, August 18, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Sacramento City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting was called to order at 5:37 PM and adjourned at 8:05 PM. Temporary Chair Natalie McGee presided over the meeting due to the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair. The commission engaged in extensive discussions regarding the FY 2025/26 budget, performance metrics, the 2026 workplan, and community engagement strategies.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the June 16, 2025 meeting minutes, the updated Agenda Log, and received and filed the FY 2025/26 Measure U Approved Budget.
• Budget Discussion: Commissioner Cook raised concerns about a material discrepancy where the FY25 Measure U fund was spending $161 million against $135 million in revenue, calling it a structural spending problem covered by the General Fund. He stated this undermined the spirit of the ballot measure. Ash Roughani, Special Projects Manager, clarified that Measure U is a portion of the General Fund which is balanced overall, and the gap represents an accounting mechanism where funds are shifted between the two. Commissioner Smith cautioned that the budget numbers were “soft” due to unfunded liabilities and federal uncertainty. The Consent Calendar passed unanimously (12-0).

Discussion Items

• Item 5: Consideration of Revisions to the 2025 Workplan and Development of the 2026 Workplan

  • Commissioners agreed that department presentations should be shorter (~30 minutes) and focus on impact and outcomes rather than activities or FTEs. Commissioner McGee suggested standardizing questions for presenters in advance.
  • Commissioner Cook reiterated his goal for the commission to formally propose a balanced Measure U budget for FY26. Commissioner Sala advocated for leveraging neighborhood associations and the city’s community engagement department to connect with residents. Commissioner Frye-Lucas emphasized the importance of hearing qualitative feedback from program recipients.
  • The commission discussed priorities for 2026, including reviving Participatory Budgeting and creating a more interactive role for the community. No formal vote on the workplan was taken.

• Item 4: Development of Proposed Measure U Program Outcomes, Equity Metrics and Data Tools

  • Commissioner Cook presented a baseline spreadsheet of existing metrics extracted from department presentations. The commission discussed the need to shift from “activity-based metrics” to “impact metrics.”
  • Commissioner Novello suggested mapping program purposes directly back to Measure U’s core goals to ensure alignment. Ash Roughani recommended focusing on a smaller set of key performance indicators and noted the city is developing its own internal metrics (over 700 KPIs). He stated the upcoming City Council strategic planning session in late September would help set clearer priorities.
  • Commissioner Frye-Lucas expressed frustration over inconsistent data formats and requested standardized reporting frameworks. She pressed for clarity on a $10.8 million “Miscellaneous” budget line item. Staff committed to providing the commission with a compiled list of existing performance measures.

• Item 6: Development of a Measure U Community Outreach, Engagement and Communications Strategy (Oral Report)

  • Commissioner Sala updated the commission on the first meeting of the Community Engagement and Outreach Ad Hoc Committee.
  • The commission discussed the challenge of reaching lower-income and disenfranchised communities. Commissioner Wolf and others strongly advocated for reviving Participatory Budgeting, which the City Council did not act on despite the commission’s recommendation. Commissioner Cook suggested conducting outreach directly at transit stations and grocery stores.
  • The Ad Hoc committee agreed to develop a draft outreach plan for the October 2025 meeting and will continue to advocate for Participatory Budgeting.

Key Outcomes

• The Consent Calendar was adopted unanimously.
• Temporary Chair McGee was elected to preside over the meeting.
• The meeting was extended past two hours on a vote of 12-1, with Commissioner Rosa opposing.
• Direction was given to the Metrics Ad Hoc Committee to develop outcome-based reporting templates.
• Direction was given to the Community Engagement and Outreach Ad Hoc Committee to draft a community outreach plan.
• The departure of Vice Chair Marcus Wolf was announced, creating a vacancy to be filled at the next meeting.
• The commission formally requested a detailed breakdown of the $10.8 million “Miscellaneous” budget line item and invited the Budget Department to a future meeting to address fund structure concerns.