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City of Clearlake Sales Tax, Measure R (November 2014)
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A City of Clearlake Sales Tax, Measure R ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of Clearlake in Lake County, California. It was defeated.
If approved, Measure R would have authorized the city to impose for five years an additional special transaction and use tax - commonly called a sales tax - of 0.5 percent. The measure would have also authorized a gann override, increasing the city's appropriations limit to allow the revenue received from the tax to be spent. The tax revenue would have gone into a special fund for the general clean up and improvement of the city, rather than into the city's general fund.[1]
City officials estimated the revenue from this tax would have been about $760,000 per year.[1]
This tax would have raised the total sales tax rate in the city from 7.75 percent - 7.5 percent of which is levied by the state - to 8.25 percent.
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure R.
Election results
| Clearlake City Measure R | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 1,231 | 46.6% | ||
| Yes | 1,412 | 53.4% | ||
Election results via: Lake County Elections Office
Expenditure plan
According to the city's expenditure plan for the Measure R tax revenue, the funds would have been spent in the following way in 2015-16:[1]
- Team Personnel --- $240,000
- Animal Control --- $142,000
- Training --- $15,000
- Materials/Supplies/Vehicles(s) --- $60,000
- Contract Services (towing) --- $40,000
- Abatement --- $100,000
- Contingency fund e.g. legal costs, notices, community events, etc... --- $163,000
- Total: --- $760,000
Text of measure
Ballot question
The question on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
TRANSACTIONS AND USE (SALES) TAX FOR CITYWIDE CLEANUP AND IMPROVEMENT. Shall City of Clearlake impose 0.5% retail transactions and use tax for citywide cleanup and improvement; shall appropriations limit for City code enforcement, crime suppression, abatement and animal control increase Fiscal Year 2014-2015 by tax proceeds received; shall Citizen's Oversight Committee annually review proceeds' use; shall tax sunset in ten years, with reduction of tax by City Council in five years?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure R:[1]
| “ |
Measure R is a one-half per cent (1/2%) transactions tax (“Sales Tax”) and Use tax to be used only for city wide cleanup and improvement in the City of Clearlake. This tax is a “special tax” rather than a “general tax,” which means that revenues from the tax would be deposited into a special fund separate from the City’s general fund to be used only for citywide cleanup and improvement, in accordance with the City of Clearlake Citywide Clean Up and Improvement Transactions and Use Tax Expenditure Plan (“Expenditure Plan”). The Expenditure Plan is available for review at City Hall, and details specifically how tax proceeds will be spent for citywide cleanup and improvement. The Expenditure Plan may only be amended through an ordinance submitted, approved, and adopted by the City’s qualified voters. This Measure would also require the creation of a “Citizen Oversight Committee” that will review expenditures made pursuant to the Expenditure Plan. State law authorizes cities to adopt Sales Tax and Use Tax ordinances with voter approval and to have those taxes administered by the State Board of Equalization. Measure R was placed on the ballot by the City Council to ask the voters of Clearlake to approve the tax at a rate of one-half per cent (1/2%). The tax would be added to the current sales tax and use tax rate in the City of 7.75%, for a total of 8.25%, and would be collected at the same time and in the same manner as the existing sales and use tax. This Sales Tax and Use Tax will expire ten years from its Effective Date, with a review by City Council five years from its Effective Date to possibly reduce the tax rate if the determination is made that the cleanup and improvement goals have been met, or a reduction in funding for those goals is warranted. A “yes” vote is a vote to approve adoption of the proposed one percent (1/2%) transactions and use tax, the proceeds to be solely used for citywide cleanup and improvement. A “no” vote is a vote to reject the adoption of the tax. Measure R will be approved if at least two-thirds (2/3) of the voters voting on Measure R at the November 4, 2014 election vote yes.[2] |
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| —Ryan R. Jones, Clearlake City Attorney[1] | ||
See also
- Sales tax in California
- Gann overrides on the ballot
- Local sales tax on the ballot
- City tax on the ballot
- Lake County, California ballot measures
- November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California
External links
Footnotes
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