Who keeps eye on how Stanislaus County leaders spend new tax? You can, here's how

Three weeks after a call went out seeking volunteers to keep an eye on spending for a new transportation tax, only four people throughout Stanislaus County have applied.

Measure L, a half-percent sales tax increase approved by voters in November, is expected to produce about $38 million a year for 25 years. A 10-person citizens oversight committee, charged with making sure that government leaders spend proceeds from the tax like they promised, is to be created with representatives from each of the county’s nine cities and one from an unincorporated area.

“Everyone is excited to make sure it happens, but somebody’s got to step up to serve,” said Kendall Flint, an outreach consultant for the Stanislaus Council of Governments.

Committee members are expected to meet quarterly to review spending and yearly audits and to issue an annual report. Terms run three or five years.

“Sometimes people think other people are going to do it,” Flint said. “But other people are not doing it. If you’ve thought about doing this, now is the time.”

Applications can be printed at http://www.stancog.org and sent by May 31 to StanCOG, 1111 I St., Suite 308, Modesto 95354. Call 209-525-4600 for details.

The three-page form (four, with instructions) asks for, among other things, information on an applicant’s association with government employees, criminal convictions, involvement with “any organization” in the past five years, transportation-related activities, knowledge of Measure L, and education and employment history.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Who keeps eye on how Stanislaus County leaders spend new tax? You can, here's how."