Oxnard s finance director has been known to break bad news.
Whether it s a budget in the red or decimated reserves, Kevin Riper has been the bearer of grim news ever since he was hired two years ago.
But the budget update considered during Tuesday s City Council meeting took on a different tone.
The financial situation has turned around for the general fund, Oxnard s main spending account, with $17 million more in revenues than anticipated at the start of the pandemic.
It s owed to a variety of reasons but the main driver of a much improved financial situation is the voter approved Measure E. The new sales tax, an additional 1.5% for city services, begins April 1.