City of Compton Community Town Hall Meeting
June 29, 2017
LAWT NEWS SERVICE
On Wednesday June 14, 2017, Councilmember Emma Sharif, 4th District hosted a community town hall meeting at Kelly Park. Most critical to Councilwoman Sharif is to have a comprehensive understanding available for all residents on how the recently voter approved Measure P sales tax increase of 1% will align with next year’s City budget, particularly for the sorely needed street and road repairs.
This meeting allowed many local residents in attendance to learn from Cecil Rhambo, City Manager, and staff members that presented details on a variety of major issues, including the new annual 2017-2018 budget that takes effect on July 1st. Roughly $4 million will be collected in the current fiscal year from the new tax, and the City can anticipate around $8 million from the Measure P tax increase between July 2017 and June 2018.
The City’s Public Works Director, Glen Kau, prepared a three-year project time line for major street repairs that included; Compton Boulevard, Central Avenue, City-Wide Residential repairs, and residential repairs in areas that can utilize approximately $1.4 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. Over the next three years, the City plans to utilize approximately $15 million in Measure P funds and additional funds from existing transportation and highway funds such as the Gas Tax, Measure R, Measure M, Proposition A and Proposition C to improve Compton’s street infrastructure.
The City of Compton contracts with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services who presented on the decrease in crime in the City, particularly violent crime. For example, from January to June 2017 there have been 4 homicides in the City. Still, the City’s year-to-date criminal homicides have significantly dropped 69.7% as compared to the same time period a year ago.
Residents gave excellent input and suggestions on improving the City’s service delivery and community improvement programs. Above all, Councilwoman Sharif was very pleased with the willingness for the community to participate in the overall effort to improve the quality of life in the City. Community members at the meeting made suggestions on undertaking more concerted efforts to reduce and/or eliminate graffiti, illegal dumping and homelessness when making use of the additional tax revenue.
For more information, please visit www.comptoncity.org.
Next Compton 4th District Town Hall Meeting September 13, 2017.