Front Page  »  

Pismo Beach City Council votes to raise sales tax, needs voter approval

June 5, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

The Pismo Beach City Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to place a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot to increase the sales tax by .5% and to extend a previously approved .5% sales tax measure, which city staff estimates will result in $6 million a year in additional revenue.

Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande currently have the lowest sales tax rates in San Luis Obispo County. However, Pismo Beach leads the county in transient occupancy tax revenue.

During the meeting, Councilman Scott Newton sought to earmark the proposed tax revenue for items such as roads and infrastructure. To prove his point, Newton asked City Manager Jorge Garcia if, as worded in the proposed referendum, the funds could be used to build a Ferris wheel on the pier. Garcia said yes.

The council then voted 4-1 to approve placing a general-purpose tax referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot with Newton dissenting.

Ten years ago, during the June 4, 2014 general election, Pismo Beach residents voted to pass Measure I, which continued a previously approved half-cent sales tax measure that was first approved in 2008. The sales tax was set at 7.75% for 12 years, or until March 31, 2027. It is a general tax, with revenue going to the city’s general fund for any governmental purpose. It was approved by the following result:

If the proposed ballot measure is approved by the voters, the new sales tax rate will be 8.25%.

Visitors pay approximately 63% of this tax, generating the bulk of the sales tax based off goods purchased or restaurants visited while they are shopping in Pismo Beach, according to staff. As a result, residents pay only 37% of the total proceeds collected.

 


Loading...
Subjects:     
Related:


11 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Voting yes seems to be the sensible thing to do, property taxes a crazy low, we might as well get revenue from tourists to subsidize their impact on the community.


-22

The power to tax is the power to destroy.


I am voting NO on the proposed Pismo Beach tax increase. As we have seen in numerous articles here on CCN, the so-called leaders of Pismo Beach have little regard for fiscal responsibility, and giving them more tax dollars is like giving a junkie free drugs.


Vote NO on Pismo Beach sales tax increase.


40

With a almost $500,000 city manager plus a top heavy administration and a recent roughly 2 million dollar verdict against the city is anyone really surprised the city wants more money? Certainly not interested in cutting costs.


34

We have one of the highest tax rates in the Nation. Government is unable to balance a budget or limit spending. We need to be the ones to say NO. Please vote No in November.


36

Let’s clear up one fact, the Ferris wheel, bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, carousel, roller coaster and loop o plane were located at the carnival in the pier parking lot, not at the end of the pier. The carnival was relocated in 1995 to its present location 760 Mattie Rd.


13

The carnival was not in the pier it was on the piece of property where the Inn at the Pier now sits


0

Maybe it’s to pay for: Four years ago, Vince Lopez with V. Lopez Jr. & Sons and city staff argued over who was responsible for delays in the construction of a new sewer lift station. Even though the initial argument was over a $69,000 fine, city taxpayers will likely dole out more than $2 million for legal fees and the court judgement.


26

Economy is in the dumps, raise the taxes. How about taking a hard look at the Top 5 Salaries in the City. Also, take a look at how responsible they are with the funds they already receive. Vote No.


44

After 2 million in attorney fees, no surprise they want to raise the sales tax. Vote NO


41

Vote NO and be sure and tell the decision makers to “get off the “we have to keep parity with other cities” nonsense”

https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2022/pismo-beach/


36
1 2