The subject area of financial and program accountability includes creating an open, consistent and objective decision-making process and providing more information to the public about program budgets and financing tools.

The money to run the Open Space Program comes from several different sources, including the City’s General Fund, the Open Space Protection Special Tax Fund (the Measure O Fund), agriculture mitigation fees, agricultural lease revenue, and open space development impact fees.

Currently, the City’s annual budget reports these funds separately so it is difficult to determine the overall budget for the Open Space Program.  This lack of clarity has led to public confusion and frustration about the Open Space Program budget and what Measure O funds are being spent on year to year. There was also confusion and frustration about the decision-making process for acquiring new open space lands and conservation easements.

To address these concerns, staff prepared a number of easy-to-read programmatic and budgetary documents to provide more clear and transparent information about the program to the public. The overall goal is to foster more trust and understanding between the community, the City Council, and City staff. These documents, which can be accessed below, are discussed regularly at monthly meetings of the Open Space and Habitat Commission.  

Recent Accomplishments -- Financial and Program Accountability

Completed and Posted Programmatic Documents

Strategic Plan. On March 20, 2018, the City Council passed a Strategic Plan for the City's Open Space Program. The Strategic Plan builds on, refines, and replaces a similar plan approved by the City Council in 2002.  It is intended to address the community's strong interest in open space by providing readers with a clear roadmap for preserving and managing open space in and around the City through 2030, the final year of Measure O, the City’s open space parcel tax. The Strategic Plan incorporates the key themes that were expressed by the community during a 2016 public outreach effort. This outreach effort included an on-line survey, focus groups, and a public workshop. The community urged staff to emphasize public access and recreation, habitat restoration, financial and program accountability, and public engagement and partnerships. To read the full Strategic Plan, or just peruse the Strategic Plan's summary charts, just click on one of the links below: 

• Strategic Plan for the City’s Open Space Program (Full Document)

• Strategic Plan for the City’s Open Space Program (Summary Charts Only)

Commission Work Plan.  The most recent work plan of the Open Space and Habitat Commission can be found below.  The Commission's work focuses on implementing the Strategic Plan for the City’s Open Space Program. It prioritizes certain action items from the Strategic Plan and also relates them to specific City Council goals and objectives. The work plan, along with the Commission’s working groups, are organized according to the six subjects in the Strategic Plan. The projects the Commission is currently working on, and will likely continue to work on over the next year or so, can be seen by clicking on the link below:

• Open Space and Habitat Commission Work Plan

Land Management Plans. Staff are in the process of creating land management plans for all of the City's open space areas. The purpose of land management plans is to identify the resources present at each open space area and set goals for their long-term maintenance. The plans outline those goals, as well as several specific objectives intended to define the City's management activities going forward. They also outline how to manage public access to these areas in a way that doesn’t degrade the habitat. To read the land management plans for the Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer and South Fork Preserve, just click on the links below:  

• Land Management Plan for Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer

• Land Management Plan for South Fork Preserve

Completed and Posted Financial Documents 

Measure O. The City’s Open Space Protection Special Tax Fund is a stable source of long-term local funding to protect open space lands in the Davis Planning Area.  Approved as Measure O in November 2000 by 70% of Davis voters, the parcel tax allows the City to acquire and maintain open space.  The 30-year tax (Ordinance 2033 of the City’s Municipal Code) began July 1, 2001 and remains in effect until June 30, 2031.  The tax can be extended or re-authorized by Davis voters prior to that date.

This parcel tax provides “revenue for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of lands and easements for open space, habitat and agricultural uses and preservation in the areas surrounding the City.”  In general, the funds in the Open Space Protection Special Tax Fund may be used only for buying and maintaining open space areas (fee title or easement acquisitions), enhancing or improving open space areas, buying and maintaining bicycle trails connecting open space areas, maintaining or improving open space, and paying for incidental expenses related to administering this parcel tax. For more information about this parcel tax and how it has been spent over the last 15 years, just click on the links below:

• Expenditure Guidelines (Text of Measure O)

• Midterm Progress Report on Measure O

Program Budget. Every year, staff reviews the financial condition of the Open Space Program with the Open Space and Habitat Commission. This review includes a look at the past fiscal year's expenditures and whether those expenditures were in line with the budget. It also includes a look at the next fiscal year's budget, and what the expected revenues and expenditures will be.  Finally, it also includes the past year's accomplishments, the upcoming year's goals, fund balances that are available for open space expenditures, and a detailed review of how Measure O dollars have been spent to date.  Measure O is the City's open space protection special parcel tax for the acquisition and maintenance of open space. Based on community feedback, the City has committed to spending no more than one-third of annual Measure O expenses on maintenance, including staff costs. To review the current budget summary, just click on the link below:

• Current Budget Summary Document

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