Political barbs flew at Santa Barbara City Hall on Tuesday in a brawl over housing, law enforcement and millions of dollars generated from sales tax.

A band of housing advocates called on the City Council to spend more money on housing, and people contended that the city misled the public about how Measure I sales tax money would be spent.

“While we have a shared history of creating over 1,500 affordable units, we can sit around and pat ourselves on the back for that, the fact is we have failed, and we are failing to meet the community’s foundational need for affordable housing,” said Rob Fredericks, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.

Fredericks said Measure I, the half-cent sales tax increase voters passed in November, apparently should have been marketed as “funds to rescue the city from financial implosion.”

The housing director said he was surprised to find out that city staff had only recommended $1 million to $2 million annually toward housing. Fredericks said early conversations about the sales tax measure indicated 30-to-35% of the $15.1 million generated annually could fund housing.

He said the 13% that was recommended “falls short of our expectations and the level of support for affordable housing needs.”

Most of the money from the sales tax increase is intended to erase the city’s projected $10.7-million budget deficit next year. Now, community groups are battling over the surplus, about $4.4 million. Fredericks and others expressed shock that a majority of the money would be going to balance the city’s general fund budget, instead of housing.

Budget officials recommend spending $511,000 to unfreeze three police officer positions and $234,000 to open up a sergeant position. They also recommend spending $385,000 to maintain existing library hours, which are currently being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act Funds that are expiring soon, restore security services and hire a bilingual employee.

Emiliano Campobello, vice president of CLUE, Clergy & Laity United for Economic & Social Justice, said that money given to the Housing Authority could be leveraged 10-1 with federal funds and grants, noting that it was a good investment for the city.

“Less homelessness means less camps, less fires, other kinds of incidences that take way from our public services,” Campobello said. “On that beautiful graph of priorities that we had, filling the deficit was nowhere on there and that took about 70% of the $15 million.”

Some councilmembers pushed back on the criticisms. Councilman Mike Jordan questioned why the city staff brought the proposal forward now instead of waiting for the normal budget cycle. He said the decisions about spending priorities should be made in that context of the city budget, set to be release in April.

He also questioned whether it was even legal to devote exact amounts of money to housing annually considering that the sales tax increase was a general tax, and therefore available for many needs, with flexibility depending on the situation.

Regarding the criticisms of spending priorities, Jordan looked out at the audience and directed his pointed comments at them.

“People referenced conversations where promises were made, well, I will just tell you that none of those conversations were with me,” Jordan said. “Today is the first time I am a getting to have a conversation on this. I may have seen emails talking at me, but not one of you people in the audience has had a conversation with me on your expectation that 35% of something would go into a fund.”

Jordan doubled down and said that the city created its Housing Trust Fund with the idea that community organizations, not just the city of Santa Barbara, would contribute to it.

He said no one has so far.

“Today that’s zero, nothing, none of you who spoke representing a community group has put a dollar into the Housing Trust Fund,” Jordan said. “I don’t think that obligation lies solely with the city. I don’t think the city can adequately meet those expectation you have. I think there’s lots of conversations to be had.”

Councilman Eric Friedman tried to play peacemaker, not before making a joke that cracked up the crowd at City Hall.

“I am reminded of all those stories when someone hits the lottery and then they go bankrupt, and all I can say is that saying, ‘more money, more problems,'” Friedman said.

He supports the staff recommendation of $2 million for housing and filling law enforcement and library positions.

Friedman thanked Councilwoman Meagan Harmon for pushing to create a $3 million Housing Trust Fund in the first place, and then the entire council and community for coming together to support the proposal. He said the Trust Fund has led to two great projects with 100 units so far in Santa Barbara.

“I am saddened in a way that the discussion is trying to say that promises weren’t kept, you are pro-housing, you are not, you are this, you are that, but all of us came together,” Friedman said.

He urged the community to be part of the solution, without blame, and recognize that successes that have already been achieved.

“We’re going to get a better outcome than if we all start pointing fingers at each other,” Friedman said.

The City Council gave staff direction to decide Measure I sales tax revenues during the regular budget cycle.

The half-cent sales tax increase to 9.25% passed in November with 63.4% of voters in favor.