On Nov. 5, residents in Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, and Pismo Beach will decide what to do about sales tax rates in their cities.
Sitting at the lowest sales tax rates in the county, both Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach have a current sales tax of 7.75 percent. Arroyo Grande is proposing a 1 percent increase to help fund fire services, infrastructure, and their general plan, while Pismo wants a half-cent.
“We’re projecting that the sales tax revenue generated by this would be approximately $6 million annually,” Arroyo Grande City Manager Matthew Downing said during the May 28 meeting. “It would go toward fixing potholes, maintaining city streets and infrastructure; providing that local fire, police, and 911 protection; and ensuring cleaning up litter and graffiti when we do have it, and helping to address our homelessness.”
If passed, Measure E-24 will include a 10-year sunset clause where the council will revote on the new sales tax in 2034.
Pismo Beach is asking its residents to vote on Measure F-24, which would help pay for public safety like police, fire, lifeguards, and 911 response services, streets and road maintenance, sidewalks, and other infrastructure projects, parks, playgrounds, and public facilities.
“This would be a voter-approved and locally controlled revenue source for the city,” the city’s website states. “This means 100 percent of the funds generated by Measure F-24, if approved, would stay in Pismo Beach to support the city’s general fund.”
Atascadero and Paso Robles are asking voters to maintain the sales tax percentage that already exists.
In Atascadero, funds from Measure F-14 have made up 9 percent of the city’s budget and helped improve neighborhoods and roads.
“One hundred percent of the funds provided by Measure F-14 have been spent on road improvements throughout the community as directed by the City Council,” the city’s website states. “These expenditure choices were made consistent with an advisory vote that shared the ballot with F-14, where residents overwhelmingly expressed a preference for prioritizing road repairs.”
Originally approved by voters in 2014, the city is asking residents to renew it before its expiration on March 31, 2027. It will be Measure L-24 on the ballot.
“Measure F-14 has funded 14 projects equivalent to nearly $20.4 million in neighborhood road repair,” the website states. “These projects have resurfaced over 55 miles of neighborhood roads, improving overall pavement condition and infrastructure stability.”
Paso Robles’ existing infrastructure tax has allocated more than $78 million for projects that have repaired streets. But, if the measure is allowed to sunsetāby voters not passing Measure I-24āthe city’s general fund would not have enough revenue to continue improvements.
“Since 2012, 44 individual street repair projects have been funded through Measure E-12 revenues,” the city website states. “However, city staff and consultants have estimated that the city has $350 million in deferred road repair needs.”
The city says revenue will also go to improve curbs, gutters, and disability accessibility where necessary.
“If I-24 is not renewed by voters, the general fund may have insufficient revenues to fund these segments of roadways given other general governmental services that need to be funded, and such segments will likely continue to deteriorate,” the website states. Ī
This article appears in Oct 10-20, 2024.