Pismo Beach council may place sales tax renewal on ballot

June 30, 2014

pismoPismo Beach city staffers are recommending a 12-year extension of the city’s half-cent sales tax.

In 2008, Pismo Beach voters approved a half-cent sales tax, which is set to expire at the end of next March. On Tuesday, the Pismo Beach City Council will consider placing a 12-year extension of the tax on the November ballot.

The half-cent tax currently raises about $1.3 million annually, according to a city staff report. Purchases by Pismo Beach visitors account for about 70 percent of the tax revenue, while residents generate approximately 30 percent of it.

Funds raised by the sales tax are used solely to maintain and improve Pismo Beach infrastructure, according to the staff report. The city has spent $3.3 million of the more than $6 million it has raised on street paving.

If voters renew the tax, city staff is expected to spend the money on more infrastructure projects, including storm drain and pier repair.

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.


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Help support local small businesses and Vote No on New Sales Tax for 12 Years.

Most of us cannot afford more Tax Increases. Vote No !


Elections are either rigged, cheated or they have enough low-information (obama-voters) on the dole to further self-inflict damage. From smalltown to big fed, story is the same.


democracy: you just can’t win, the dice are loaded the cards are marked. America has a black president.


How about pismo set up a toll booth by the giant clam and tax visitors 50cents per tattoo. Take them a week to generate the 12 years worth of “revenue” that they want with the half penny tax.


Is that a knock on our brothers and sister (and their kids and pets?) from the central valley? For shame!


Let’s see the City just gave away $900,000, now they want more of our money. This equates to: how much do you make, well add 10% to that amount and send it in; Sorry, Pismo we are taxed enough. Vote NO!


Time to Vote NO on all these New Local Sales Tax Increases.


Remember how these Sales Taxes were suppose to be temporary during difficult times. Now they have become the ” New Normal Entitlements”.


Interesting spin by the $ 250,000 City Manager. Using infrastructure, public works, roads, safety to get voter approval. The fact is that existing taxes are being used for excessive compensation levels, early retirement,luxury benefits and special pet projects.


We all pay these taxes, and in the end it adds up to one big tax increase for resident taxpayers. Tourists bring a lot of dollars into the community. Lower sales taxes may just encourage them to purchase more good and services and “help support” hard pressed local small businesses that are truely the life blood of communities.


So beware of the spin statements, the high priced consultants, union mailers, and commercials that paint a unrealistic picture of tax and spend budgets that are out of control.


Vote NO on Local Sales Tax Increases. Support Candidates in November who will provide Tax and Rate Relief for hard pressed working families, fixed income seniors, those just getting started, working poor, and most of all our local small business owners.


” The Power To Tax, Is The Power To Desatroy”


I am looking for something that the past tax did … there is about five feet of sidewalk in downtowm and that is about it … time to let this “temporary” tax expire.


The only place you need to look is at salaries, benefits and pensions of city employees……


This New Tax Increase is beginning to look, more and more, like a Salary and Pension Bailout.


Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend. Tax and spend.


Wisconsin has a 5% to 5.6% sales tax and they have roads, police, and schools too.


This tax simply discourages tourism and lowers my wages by making everything I buy locally more expensive. Budget and plan for the long term and spend less.


Wisconsin also pulled it’s head out of it’s arse with Walker, admittedly much to the chagrin of the organized public-sector union. Why are we not all studying Wisconsin right now? Not even the useless republicans can muster up enough courage to cry, “see? we told you so!” – no, they are playing their role, like the dems play theirs. It is the same theatre company, after all.


The problem with most of these tax hikes is the city councils don’t plan on them ever ending. If they can get it passed in the first place, they know the voters will more than likely approve it again. The reason being they are used to pay it for however long and they don’t feel it is taking more money away from them.


First time out the hike was for 6 years, and now they want a 12 year extension, hmmmmm. go back to living within your means Pismo.


You’ve never seen a “temporary sales tax increase” that was temporary? No way!


Pismo Beach City Taxpayers have request a 12 year extension of the no cents sales tax.


The only infrastructure in view is protecting the fraud, waste and abuse of the public-sector unions.


Monkey see, monkey do!