Measure E Is Reviving Elk Grove’s Oldest Trees

Elk Grove’s Measure E money is helping pay for the upkeep of older park trees through Cosumnes Community Services District’s urban forest program. (elkgrove.gov) (cosumnescsd.gov) Measure E is a one-cent local sales tax that Elk Grove voters approved on November 8, 2022, by 30,434 votes to 25,611. The local sales-tax rate rose from 7.75% to 8.75% on April 1, 2023. (elkgrove.gov) The city says the tax was created to fund services residents identified as priorities, including maintaining parks, keeping public areas clean and safe, and preserving natural areas and open space. Funds are split between the City of Elk Grove and Cosumnes Community Services District under a tax-sharing agreement. (elkgrove.gov) (www.cosumnescsd.gov) In fiscal year 2023-24, Measure E generated about $34.1 million. Under the sharing formula described in the city’s annual report, 20% went to a reserve, 50% to the city, and 30% to Cosumnes CSD. (elkgrove.gov) Cosumnes CSD says it manages an urban forest of 46,000 trees and uses regular pruning, inspections, and arborist review to keep trees healthy and reduce the risk of falling limbs. The district also replants trees between fall and early spring in anticipation of future losses. (www.cosumnescsd.gov) That means the tree work described around Measure E is part of a broader maintenance system, not a standalone heritage-tree ballot program. The district’s park maintenance plan for fiscal years 2025 through 2027 lists urban tree management as a routine maintenance function supported by district funding that now includes Measure E revenue sharing. (www.cosumnescsd.gov) Elk Grove’s tree rules also give the city a preservation framework beyond park maintenance money. Municipal code says older trees are a critical part of the city’s historic and aesthetic character and sets permit rules for work on protected trees. (codepublishing.com) So the practical change is less a new tree-rescue initiative than a new funding stream behind existing park and urban-forest work. Measure E widened the pool of local money available for parks after the tax took effect in 2023. (elkgrove.gov) (www.cosumnescsd.gov)