Even as voters grow weary and suspect of statewide revenue measures, local governments are preparing to ask for permission to boost revenues. 230 measures will raise taxes or bonds, and one city hopes to boost its coffers by changing its name.
Next month’s general election may end up looking more like a scene from Oliver Twist than ones in the past, not because there are more governments asking for more, but because they’re asking for more to survive. Budgets have been cut and been kept low due to revenues that simply haven’t recovered. Compounding the situation was the loss of redevelopment money that had helped cover some of municipal affairs.
But now, maintenance can’t be delayed any longer and some positions have to be filled. That’s why three dozens cities and counties are looking for more sales tax revenues by asking voters to approve their general sales tax measures.
The city of Guadalupe in Santa Barbara County doesn’t have a strong enough economy to benefit from increased sales taxes, and their residents would likely shoot it down anyway. Instead, they hope to improve their share of the tourism market by including the word “Beach” in their name. A ballot initiative would change the land-locked city to “Guadalupe Beach.”
Read the full story at the Los Angeles Times.