With the apparent passage of Measure T, the City of Redlands has begun preparations for next year’s implementation of the one percent local sales tax.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the Nov. 3 ballot measure passed with more than 57 percent of the vote to approximately 43 percent of votes against. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters is expected to certify the election results in December.

Following passage of the measure, collection of the tax – an additional one cent on each $1 of taxable purchases – will begin on April 1, 2021. The City expects to begin receiving revenue from the tax by summer of 2021.

On Tuesday, Nov. 17, the Redlands City Council approved an ordinance to establish an oversight committee to review the sales tax revenues annually and advise the Council on the use of the revenues. The City expects to open applications for the seven-member committee beginning in March 2021, followed by appointment of members by the Council in April or May. The first meeting of the committee will likely be held in July 2021, following adoption of the next fiscal year budget.

The committee will consist of seven members, including one member appointed by each City Council member from their corresponding Council district, with approval by the full Council. Two additional members will be selected from the City’s employee bargaining units and appointed by the Mayor, with approval by the full Council.

Once applications are open in the spring of 2021, they will be available on the City’s website at https://www.cityofredlands.org/commissions-boards.