This election cycle, Pomona voters prioritized children and youth when they overwhelmingly voted in support of two local measures that will provide funding for local children and youth.

Measure Y, the Pomona Kids Initiative, which will eventually allocate 10% of the City's General Budget to a Child and Youth Fund, won with 60% of the popular vote. And Measure UU, which will raise $385 million from property taxes for school facilities, won with 68% of the popular vote. 

As to Measure Y, it is now up to the very people who actively campaigned against it - Mayor Tim Sandoval, Council Members Nora Garcia, Victor Preciado, and Steve Lustro, along with several of their appointed Commissioners - to roll up their sleeves and 'make it work.' This appears to be one time when elected and appointed officials were out of touch with what the general population wanted. 

Measure Y's new Children and Youth Fund will prioritize three groups of young people living in Pomona: children ages 0 to 12; youth ages 13 to 17; and Disconnected Transitional-Aged Youth ages 18 to 24, who are most impacted by harm, inequity and lack of access to support and services. The priority populations include but are not limited to: Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and youth of color, system-impacted young people; young people who have been pushed out of school; young people who themselves or whose families are unhoused or threatened by houselessness; young people living in poverty; immigrant and undocumented children, youth and families; LGBTQIA+ youth and families; teen parents and families, including single parents/guardians, especially single mothers; young people with poor physical, mental, emotional and behavioral health outcomes and disabilities; and families with children and youth who are impacted by the criminal justice system and/or who have family members who are incarcerated; and/or are involved in or transitioning from the foster care, juvenile justice, criminal justice or special education systems.

Measure Y's Child and Youth Fund will earmark funds for: Violence Prevention and Response; Alternatives to Incarceration; Education, Job Training, and Jobs; Parent/Guardian Support; Media, Arts, Culture and Technology; Youth and Family Leadership, Organizing and Civic Engagement; Health and Well-Being; Environmental Health and Justice; Outdoor Education and Recreation; Deportation and Immigrant Support; and Housing Support.

The Pomonan editorial board consists of opinion journalists whose perspectives are shaped by their expertise, research, discussions, and established principles. This board operates independently from the newsroom.