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Santa Maria facing $21 million budget deficit

October 4, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

With costs outpacing revenues, Santa Maria is struggling with a $21 million budget deficit. The city is considering raising taxes and cutting expenditures.

The primary cost driver is increased salary and benefits for city staff, according to a staff report. At the same time, both sales tax and occupancy tax revenues are under performing budget expectations.

The city is considering several fee and tax raising options to increase revenue, including raising the sales tax by a half cent, raising the transient occupancy tax from 10% to 14%, raising taxes on businesses and allowing pot shops in order to enact a cannabis tax.

As an alternative to raising taxes and fees, Santa Maria is contemplating ordering city staff to cut costs.

City staff presented the options to the Santa Maria City Council during its Oct. 1 meeting. The council directed staff to continue analyzing the options with direction to bring their suggestions back to the council in Feb. 2025.

 


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WOW, look at those salaries and pension costs. Can’t they find a way to reduce all this? A teeny-weeny little cut? Come on municipal employees, give a teeny-weeny back! Give taxpayers a break. Don’t talk about ways to raise taxes, talk about ways you can cut!

https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/santa-maria/


42

They could if they wanted too but the firstbrule in government is increase thy size and compensation


0

This great date underscores an easy solution: require everyone making over $100K to take 25% pay cut. Some would take the cut, others would leave; both are good solutions. No one is worth that much money for a any city, especially a generic city such as Santa Maria.


16

25% for the next few years….


5

True that. Really it comes down to the cowardly California politicians, unwilling to make those demands. For voters that should be the question to all candidates: are you willing dear candidate, to make these demands and hard decisions? No more of this “well such and such city/county pays this much so we must match that”. BS BS they do not have to do that, it’s a cheap, cowardly excuse.


9

The $21 million question, If the city cut its staff and compensation budget by $21 million and would anyone really notice?


1

Gee whiz what a surprise incompetent politicians over spending tax payers money. These intelligent people also vote to give theirselves raises to over inflate the budget without a care in the world.


59

If they don’t waste it, they can’t ask for more (taxes). My parents didn’t open up my bedroom door and just throw more money at my mess. They told me to clean up my act. Stop voting these wasteful people into office.


52

And Alice Patino is seeking yet another term as mayor. Vote her out, Santa Marians!


42

So the occupancy revenue is down and the solution is to raise it by 40%?

How about answering the question of why anyone would stay with in Santa Maria? Not exactly a Mecca for tourists.


56