County supervisors placed Measure K on the mid-term ballot over the summer. It's a one-cent sales tax on retail sales in unincorporated areas of Kern County.
Officials say it will generate approximately $54 million in revenue that will be sent right back to the areas that paid the tax.
The county's chief administrative officer, Ryan Alsop, says the county's oil and gas industry which has provided the tax base for the past century has been in rapid decline and right now there's no other revenue stream filling the gap.
"I don't have industry waiting in wings to jump in next year to replace all of that. Economic development and all of those things we are doing are really important things, but the fruits of that labor are a decade or more away when we are talking about replacing an industry the size of oil and gas."
Measure K would require the county to handle the sales tax separately during budget discussions to ensure it goes to the right agencies. There would also be a county and an independent audit in addition to a citizens oversight committee.
It also contains a provision to have the measure amended or repealed by another vote in the future.
Measure K needs a simple majority to pass.