The Arvin City Council authorized $26,000 to hire a professional firm to educate voters on Measure H, a proposed one-cent sales tax increase.The firm, William Berry Campaigns, was hired in June to educate voters and rally suppor t for the measure. Voters can find information about Measure H on the city's website by clicking "Tax Measure H" listed under "Quick Links," which leads to a dedicated page about the measure.I asked voters whether they knew anything about Measure H as election day approaches.Mayor Olivia Calderon warned that rejecting the measure could have severe consequences for the city. In an interview over the summer, Calderon said the city's reserves were less than $300,000."The event that this does not pass, then what we're facing is deeper cuts. And that is a scenario that at this moment in time I take day by day, and one, that I pray to God that we can avoid quite frankly," Calderon said.The council's decision to hire the firm drew backlash on social media.Some wrote that "nobody needs to be walking around telling people to vote," while others reacted to the price tag, saying "26K this better be a joke."Council Member Susana Reyes sent me a statement that reads, in part:"We will address the Measure H outreach portion during Tuesday's council meeting," Reyes said.I reached out to multiple city leaders the mayor, city manager and city clerk but have yet to hear back.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less