Vote YES on Measure F
Measure F: Questions and Answers
Straightforward information for Lincoln voters. November 3, 2026.
When you call 911 in Lincoln, the system behind that call has to work. We're the fire fighters who answer those calls, and we support Measure F because it could help protect essential services and expand emergency medical capabilities. Here's what the measure actually does, what it doesn't guarantee, and why we're asking for your support.
1. What is Measure F?
Measure F is a one-cent locally controlled revenue measure expected to generate approximately $6 million each year for the City of Lincoln. The measure identifies 911 emergency and medical response, police and fire protection, life-saving medical equipment, safe and clean streets and parks, and other general government uses among the services the revenue may support.1 All Measure F revenue would be spent locally in Lincoln.1
2. Is Measure F dedicated only to the fire department?
No. Measure F is a general revenue measure, not a dedicated fire fund. The City Council keeps authority over future budget decisions. Public safety, fire and emergency medical response, police services, streets, parks, and other local services are among the uses identified in the measure.1
3. Why is Measure F being proposed now?
Lincoln's own five-year forecast shows the problem clearly: expenses are projected to keep outpacing revenue, with the fund balance reaching zero by fiscal year 2029-30 if nothing changes.2 Temporary Placer County funding that has helped sustain public safety services is expiring.2 Measure F is the locally controlled revenue solution the City Council has put before voters.
4. What has the City already done to control costs?
Lincoln has held non-emergency positions vacant, delayed major capital projects, phased out high-cost retiree medical benefits, established a pension trust, reduced reliance on outside consultants, and prioritized essential services.2 Those steps have stretched available dollars, but they haven't been enough to close the projected gap.2 In other words, this isn't a problem Lincoln can solve simply by trimming around the edges.
5. Why do Lincoln fire fighters support Measure F?
Most calls we answer are medical emergencies, not fires.2 Under the current budget, expanding full-time paramedic and Advanced Life Support capabilities is difficult without affecting other services.2 We see what that gap means firsthand. We support Measure F because it could help protect fire and emergency medical services and give the City another path to close that gap. We're not promising a specific outcome. We're telling you why this matters to the people who respond when you call.
6. What public safety priorities could the revenue support?
For Lincoln fire fighters, the priorities are clear: protecting 911 emergency and medical response, preventing reductions to police and fire services, adding trained paramedics and Advanced Life Support equipment, recruiting and retaining qualified police officers and fire fighters, and keeping public areas, streets, and parks safe and clean.2 Because Measure F is general revenue, final allocations would be decided through the City's budget process, not by us.
7. What could happen without additional revenue?
Without a new revenue source, Lincoln faces real pressure: possible personnel reductions across police and fire, continued limits on expanding paramedic capabilities, effects on 911 response and police patrol resources, and greater difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified public safety personnel.2 These are risks the record points to, not guaranteed outcomes or a list of cuts already decided.
8. Does Measure F guarantee paramedics on every engine or faster response times?
No. We want to be clear about that. Measure F provides general revenue and identifies priorities, but it doesn't by itself guarantee a specific number of paramedics, a particular Advanced Life Support expansion, faster response times, or the elimination of future service reductions. What happens next depends on future City budget and implementation decisions. We'd rather tell you that plainly than oversell what this measure can do.
9. How would the public be able to see how the revenue is used?
Because Measure F provides general revenue, accountability is especially important. Measure F includes a citizen oversight committee, annual audits, and public spending disclosure.1 The oversight committee gives the community an independent, direct role in reviewing how its investment in the City of Lincoln is used, and in helping ensure those dollars are spent responsibly and transparently. It doesn't change the fact that Measure F is general revenue, and final budget decisions remain under City authority.
10. Will the revenue stay in Lincoln?
Yes. All Measure F revenue would be spent locally in Lincoln.1 That local control is part of why Lincoln fire fighters support the measure. It's Lincoln's money, staying in Lincoln, for Lincoln's decisions.
11. How long would Measure F remain in effect?
Measure F would remain in effect until ended by voters.1 There's no automatic expiration date built into the measure.
We answer Lincoln's emergency calls.
We're asking you to vote YES on Measure F on November 3, 2026.
Sources
- City of Lincoln, Measure F Ballot Question, November 3, 2026 election.
- Lincoln, CA Measure F White Paper: Securing Lincoln's Essential Public Services and Long-Term Fiscal Stability.
Prepared for public education by Lincoln fire fighters represented through Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522.
Paid for by Sustainable Communities, Sponsored by Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522.