Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
MAY 15, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: MEASURE M INDEPENDENT TAXPAYER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SELECTION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE the following nominees for the Measure M Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee (MMITOC):
A. Jesse Soto, the recommended nominee for area of expertise B, municipal/public finance and/or budgeting professional; and
B. Michael Moore, the recommended nominee for area of expertise C, transit professional with experience in senior-level decision-making in transit operations and labor practices.
Issue
ISSUE
The MMITOC consists of seven members representing various areas of expertise (Attachment A). Currently, there are three open positions on the MMITOC. This action seeks to fill two of the resulting vacancies.
Background
BACKGROUND
The Measure M Ordinance (Ordinance), approved by voters in November 2016, requires the establishment of a Taxpayer Oversight Committee to provide an enhanced level of accountability for expenditures of sales tax revenues made under the Expenditure Plan. The MMITOC carries out the responsibilities laid out in the Ordinance. It plays a valuable and constructive role in the ongoing improvement and enhancement of project delivery contemplated under the Measure M Ordinance. See Attachment A for committee requirements.
The MMITOC is comprised of seven members representing the following areas of expertise (Attachment A):
A. A retired federal or state judge;
B. A professional from the field of municipal/public finance and/or budgeting with a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience;
C. A transit professional with a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in senior-level decision making in transit operations and labor practices;
D. A professional with a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in management and administration of financial policies, performance measurements, and reviews;
E. A professional with demonstrated experience of ten (10) years or more in the management of large-scale construction projects;
F. A licensed architect or engineer with appropriate credentials in the field of transportation project design or construction and a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience; and
G. A regional association of business representative with at least ten (10) years of senior-level decision making experience in the private sector.
In October 2020, the member representing Expertise A - a retired federal or state judge, resigned. In June 2024, the member representing Expertise B - municipal/public finance and/or budgeting professional resigned due to a change in residence, which made them ineligible to serve. In addition, the member representing Expertise C - transit professional, notified staff of their resignation effective June 2025 at the conclusion of their five-year term.
The Ordinance states that the Selection Panel consisting of Metro’s Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Second Vice Chair or their designees shall select the MMITOC Members for approval (Attachment B). In April 2025, staff presented the eligible candidates for the MMITOC to the Selection Panel for their review. The Ethics Officer also conducted a screening of the recommended candidates to ensure compliance with the conflict of interest provisions outlined in the Ordinance.
The Board shall approve the recommended candidates by a simple majority per the selection panel guidelines (Attachment B).
Discussion
DISCUSSION
There are currently three open positions on the MMITOC. This action aims to fill two of those vacancies: a municipal/public finance and/or budgeting professional and a transit professional.
In May 2024, Metro issued a press release to attract interested individuals and conducted outreach to judicial and mediation agencies, and professional finance and transit organizations to identify candidates with legal, financial, and transit expertise to promote the vacancies within the MMITOC. In addition, staff opened an online application system to collect candidate submissions.
Following this outreach process, candidate applications were evaluated and staff presented eligible candidates to the Selection Panel for review. The Selection Panel reviewed the candidates’ qualifications and recommends the following two candidates be approved for the MMITOC.
• Jesse Soto, the recommended nominee for area of expertise B, municipal/public finance and/or budgeting professional has over 40 years of accounting and financial management experience, has been a recipient of top government finance awards, and is a member of several government finance organizations. (Attachment C)
• Michael Moore, the recommended nominee for area of expertise C, transit professional with experience in senior-level decision-making in transit operations and labor practices has over 30 years of experience in public transit, specializing in rail/ bus safety, and has received numerous rail safety certifications and awards (Attachment D).
As the candidate pool for Expertise A, retired federal or state judge is limited, recruitment efforts have been challenging. The expertise has been vacant for five years and has only received one applicant since the 2017 MMITOC establishment. In order to fill the remaining vacancy, staff will coordinate efforts across multiple departments to expand outreach to targeted professional organizations.
Staff will also identify potential candidates to fill the anticipated vacancy for the licensed architect (Expertise F), as she informed staff following the March MMITOC meeting that she would be stepping down once a replacement is identified.
Approval of the staff recommendation will result in one vacancy, as well as the anticipated vacancy for Expertise F. The application portal remains open to allow for renewed and continued recruitment efforts.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Approval of this item will not negatively impact the safety of Metro’s patrons or employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approving the recommended action has no financial impact on the agency.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Responsible and transparent stewardship of taxpayer dollars is an important component of equitable governance. This action will fill vacancies on this oversight committee. The addition of the two recommended candidates will contribute to greater diversity within the MMITOC.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit. *Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. While this item does not directly encourage taking transit, sharing a ride, or using active transportation, it is a vital part of Metro operations, as it provides information on the recruitment and selection process for candidates to serve on the Measure M Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee (MMITOC). Because the Metro Board has adopted an agency-wide VMT Reduction Target, and this item generally supports the overall function of the agency, this item is consistent with the goals of reducing VMT.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from the highway performance monitoring system data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Approval of this item supports Metro Vision 2028 Goal #5: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization as the MMITOC was established to ensure that Metro and local sub-recipients comply with the terms of the Ordinance.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to approve the recommended member(s) for the MMITOC and re-solicit applications. This is not recommended as it would limit the number of members and increase the likelihood of not obtaining the quorum necessary to review and discuss important Measure M matters. This may impact the ability to provide an enhanced level of accountability for expenditures of sales tax revenues made under the Expenditure Plan.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval, staff will schedule an orientation session for the selected member(s). In addition, staff will continue recruitment efforts to fill the remaining vacancies.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Committee Membership Requirements
Attachment B - Selection Panel Guidelines
Attachment C - Soto Candidate Bio
Attachment D - Moore Candidate Bio
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Kimberly Houston, Deputy Chief Auditor, (213) 922-4720
Monica Del Toro, Senior Manager, Audit, (213) 922-7494
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Sharon Gookin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 418-3101
