Continuing a half-cent sales tax, voters in Oakdale overwhelmingly approved Measure H with nearly 74 percent of the vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The vote extends the existing half-cent sales tax in the city.

Money from the measure is earmarked primarily for public safety, including police services, as well as street sweeping and some senior citizen programs.

“I am extremely grateful for the community’s overwhelming support for Measure H,” said Oakdale City Manager Bryan Whitemyer. “This will provide critical funding for police, fire and senior services. The expenditure of these funds will be overseen by a citizen’s oversight committee to ensure that they are spent as promised just like they have done for the last eight years.”

The extension will begin when the previous measure expires, in April 2020, and will be in effect for 11 years.

“The measure only needed 50 percent plus one to pass so to see it approach 74 percent is amazing,” added Whitemyer.

Voting on Nov. 5 saw a total of 1,950 ‘yes’ votes for Measure H, 73.42 percent compared to 706 ‘no’ votes, or 26.58 percent. A total of 2,656 votes were cast and the approval of Measure H will allow the city to continue a number of services uninterrupted.

Meanwhile, Oakdale voters were also asked to vote on whether the City Clerk position should be an appointed post as opposed to an elected one. That vote was closer but 1,504 voters said ‘no’ to appointing a clerk, preferring the election option. There were 1,102 votes cast in favor of appointment with a total of 2,606 votes cast on Measure I. That means the clerk will remain an elected position

The bulk of votes tabulated were mail-ins, with a couple of hundred voters casting ballots in person on Nov. 5.