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San Luis Obispo considering 1 percent sales tax increase

December 12, 2019

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Emboldened by apparent voter support, the city of San Luis Obispo is not only considering a new sales tax measure, but one that would hike the current rate by a full percent.

San Luis Obispo officials have released the results of a survey conducted by a firm contracted by the city, which appear to indicate strong support for a tax increase initiative.

Poll results show 63 percent of residents surveyed are at least leaning toward supporting a ballot initiative that would raise the city sales tax by 1 percent. Additionally, 60 percent of those surveyed at least lean toward supporting a measure that would raise the sales tax rate by a half percent.

The 1 percent increase proposal was worded as a tax to fund services, maintenance and infrastructure. The half percent increase proposal would cover infrastructure only.

A general purpose sales tax increase requires a simple majority vote to pass.

The current sales tax rate in San Luis Obispo is 7.75 percent, a rate shared by all seven cities in SLO County. Each city in the county has already adopted its own half percent sales tax increase.

SLO voters renewed the city’s half percent sales tax in 2014, when Measure G passed with more than 70 percent support.

A few years later, city officials floated the idea of placing a sales tax hike on the 2018 ballot but tabled the idea because of a lack of public support.

San Luis Obispo is now one of several cities in the county currently considering a sales tax measure. Last November, Paso Robles voters rejected a half percent sales tax hike that appeared on the ballot in the North County city.


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Folks,


The power to tax is the power to destroy.


Let’s reject Harmon & Co.’s cynical plan to tax us into poverty, like everyone else, they ought to live within their means, taxpayers ought to be respected.


Speak truth to power.


35

SLO City Council, GO FOR IT!


Love,


(Paso Robles | Arroyo Grande | Atascadero | Templeton) Chamber of Commerce


21

Just more proof the “progressives” at city hall are fake progressives.


Sales taxes are the most regressive tax on the books, hitting the poorest the hardest since they tax necessities and consume disproportionate percentage of income. They’re great for rich people, like all the out of towners who are buying the new “workforce” housing littering the place, including no doubt that new subdivision on Orcutt with prices “from the low millions.”


Way to go SLO Progressives! Hypocrisy above all!


31

After the 2014 sales tax increase on Measure G, here comes a doozey. Not surprised the current leadership of City Hall would spend our tax $ to indoctrinate us for yet another tax hike. Ours has become a city that refuses to live within its means and chases “wants” rather than “needs”. like spending millions of $ ramming bikeways through established residential neighborhoods and disrupting their livability. What it’s really doing is chasing 9 figures worth of unsustainable public pension debt.

And the Mayor wants another pay increase? Let’s not be hoodwinked by this charade…


45

In the 70s and 80s city county and state jobs paid very low wages but the incentive was the lure of retirement and the ability to keep the job easily ..But then the 70s and 80s retirees started bad mouthing their measly retirement benefits …So gov agency’s started dolling out triple the salaries .. But now most are becoming insolvent .A elementary school teacher in Sacramento area earns 465.00 to 550.00 a day plus all the benefits and school days are not 8 hours …Sacramento schools will be insolvent in 2021 according to audit findings .Last I counted California has 119 taxes and fees ….So many that Board of equalization has opened 2nd division CDTFA Calif office of Tax and Fee Adminstration


33

So where’s the 1% decrease in spending to match?


Oh wait, commonsense thinking is not welcomed/allowed by public servants in the elected and un-elected public service arena.


The increase is a reward and will encourage more of the same.


31

“The increase is a reward and will encourage more of the same.”


Yup- that’s the whole idea behind it.


21

It’s amazing that all these surveys on increasing tax’s like state gas tax says the majority of people want it but when I ask people if they want a tax increase of any kind they say no, so where are all these please increase my tax’s people. Government always takes the easy way out just get more money but never solves the real problems. I survey as a no.


41

mm,


Best keep your good ideas to yourself. You might get locked up… ;-)


12

and once it passes in SLO, the rest of them will follow suit.


28

Yup- that’s how the game works.


18

Calculate the amount of money that would be generated. Then, instead, cut enough city employees to where the savings equal that amount.


Enough of this periodic increase. What’s to stop it from being 15%, 20%…eventually? Certainly not the morons who vote in the city.


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