Iracsema Quilantan: Measure P Update

Bio:

Iracsema Quilantan has a master’s degree in Public Administration from San Diego State University, and a 35-year career in local government. She has worked for the County of San Diego, the City of Coronado, and the City of Chula Vista where she currently serves as the first female Public Works Director.  Iracsema oversees 130 employees responsible for maintaining the City’s infrastructure and improving and preserving the City facilities including parks, libraries, and senior facilities.  Iracsema is past president and current member of the Chula Vista chapter of Altrusa International Service Organization, a service club dedicated to promoting literacy. In 2017, Iracsema received a Champion of Literacy Award from the City of Chula Vista recognizing her efforts to improve literacy. She believes literacy has no borders and helped in the building two school libraries in Tijuana, Baja California with other members of Altrusa and received international recognition for these projects.

Measure P Summary:

On November 2016, Chula Vista voters approved Measure P, authorizing a temporary ½ cent sales tax increase on retail sales within the City for a period of ten (10) years. Staff prepared the Infrastructure, Facilities and Equipment Expenditure Plan to identify the recommended allocation of the temporary ½ cent sales tax revenues which is estimated to generate $18 million per year. The recommended funding is based on the criteria established through the Asset Management Program which identified the major citywide infrastructure systems considered in critical need of repair or replacement. The sales tax revenues generated over the 10-year timeframe will be allocated to address infrastructure assets designated with the highest probability of failure which, if not addressed, could result in significant impact to public safety response or availability of highly used community infrastructure. The following are the highest priority items for funding:

• Pave maintain and repair neighborhood streets and fix potholes

• Upgrade or replace aging police, fire and 9-1-1 emergency response facilities, vehicles and equipment

• Replace storm drains to prevent sinkholes

• Upgrade irrigation systems to conserve water and save energy

• Make essential repairs to older libraries, senior center and recreation centers

• Improve our Traffic Signal Systems

• Repair our Sports Fields and Courts and Park Infrastructure

• Replace the City’s aging IT systems