On The November 5th 2024 Ballot…Tax Extensions & Tax Hikes Designed To Look Like They’re Not
Measure W in Cathedral City would take the one cent local sales tax approved in 2010, and raise it 50%…to one and a half cents.
Originally in 2010, that one cent sales tax hike, called Measure H, was only supposed to be for 5 years.
But surprise, in 2014, just prior to the tax going adios amigo, city officials rolled out Measure B, which did away with the expiration or sunset date, and instead installed the tax forever, or until someone drafted a petition, collected enough signatures and put a measure on the ballot to repeal the tax.
The tax has been in place for 14 years.
And now Cathedral City is looking to raise the tax, saying the State of California has fleeced the City of 30 million dollars in the past five years, crime in the City is at a five year high, with more than 825 burglaries and thefts, including 250 car thefts.
City officials contend the City does not have the money to fix roads, fill potholes, provide sufficient police patrols to keep people and property safe, and maintain 9-1-1 emergency response times.
Measure W needs a simple majority to pass.
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Measure G…Palm Desert needs a simple majority to pass.
It is a 1 penny sales tax increase on every dollar you spend in Palm Desert.
Could raise 25-million dollars a year.
Tax would go on indefinitely until voters drafted a petition, gathered signatures and put a measure on the ballot to end Measure G.
Money will go into the General Fund to pay for any city service or program.
The tax would not apply to food purchases at the grocery store or medicine. But if you go to a restaurant for dinner, you will pay the tax there.
Services for which you now pay sales tax, will also cost a penny more for every dollar spent.
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If you buy anything in Palm Springs that is subject to sales tax, you have been paying an extra penny in sales tax for the past 13 years.
2011 is when voters approved Measure J, creating that new tax.
Think one little old penny is not much.
Guess again.
The City of Palm Springs is looking to bring in 22-million dollars in revenue this fiscal year, from that little old one penny tax.
But as of right now, the Measure J tax is set to end on March 31st 2037.
So now Measure J is back on the ballot in Palm Springs.
Thanks to the City Council vote on July 9th 2024, city officials are looking to keep Measure J in place forever.
Of course, voters could draft a petition, gather signatures and put a measure on the ballot to repeal the Measure J tax.
But most people who work for a living don’t have that kind of time.
Measure J needs a simple majority to pass.
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The Palm Springs Unified School District wants to float some bonds.
Measure S on the ballot, calls for the district to sell 465-million dollars worth of bonds to build new schools, fix old schools, and upgrade labs and classrooms. Paying off those bonds, with interest, over the next 25 years, through 2049, will cost 722 million dollars.
The bonds would be financed by a property tax of just above 39 dollars for every 100-thousand dollars of assessed value, though there could be years when the tax is higher than that.
Measure S would need 55% of voters to vote in favor of it, in order to pass.
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Proposition 2, is looking to float 10 billion dollars of bonds to repair and upgrade and build new schools around California.
8.5 billion dollars would go toward public schools, and 1.5 billion dollars for community colleges.
Tax dollars from the General Fund would be used to repay the bonds over 35 years, at a cost of 500 million dollars per year.
With interest, California taxpayers would end up paying 17.5 billion dollars to payback the 10 billion dollars.
Female hand grabbing a fist full of money, all different bills isolated on white.
Photo from Alpha Media Portland OR