City of National City Sales Tax Renewal, Proposition D (November 2014)

Voting on taxes
Ballot measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot
Local City taxes County taxes School taxes Property taxes Sales taxes Income taxes Other taxes

A City of National City Sales Tax Renewal, Proposition D ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of National City in San Diego County, California. It was approved.

Proposition D authorized the city to renew its existing 1 percent sales tax for 20 years.

Voters first approved this sales tax in 2006, and it was set to expire in September 2016 without voter-approved renewal.

Mayor Ron Morrison, explaining the request for renewal, said, “When we first put this thing on the ballot in 2006 nobody saw the Great Recession and elimination of redevelopment coming. It accounts for approximately $10 million a year in general fund money.” The annual $10 million in revenue received by the city from this tax amounted to approximately 24 percent of the city's annual budget.

Election results

City of National City, Proposition D
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		4,355	68.60%
No		1,993	31.40%

Election results via: San Diego County Registrar of Voters

Text of measure

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

“

National City Continuation of City Services Funding Measure. To maintain National City's public safety and prevent cuts to neighborhood police patrols and officers; gang/drug prevention; 911 emergency response; fire protection and firefighters; graffiti removal; street/pothole repair; senior/youth/library programs; and other City services; shall National City continue its existing voter-approved one-cent sales tax for 20 years with Citizens' Oversight, annual independent audits, all money kept in National City, with no increase in tax rate?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure D:

“	Ballot Proposition D proposes to continue the existing one percent transactions and use tax (commonly referred to as the "sales tax") in the City of National City beyond the current expiration date. The voters approved the sales tax in 2006 which is set to expire in 2016. Proposition D would continue the sales tax for up to an additional twenty years beyond that expiration date. Proposition D does not increase the current sales tax. California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 7285.9 authorizes the City Council to extend a transactions and use tax, provided they approve the ordinance extending the tax by a two-thirds vote and the extension of the tax is approved by a majority of the voters voting in an election on that issue. Proposition D was placed on the ballot by unanimous vote of the City Council to extend the sales tax. Proposition D provides that the sales tax is to "maintain National City's public safety and prevent cuts to City services such as police and fire protection; gang/drug prevention; graffiti removal; street/pothole repair; and senior and library program; and other City services." This continued sales tax would remain a general tax that would go into the City's general fund to be used for any legal municipal purpose. The sales tax, if continued, would expire twenty years from the current expiration date in 2016, unless the City Council, prior to the extended expiration date, determines the sales tax is no longer necessary, in which case the City Council has the authority to reduce the rate of the sales tax or terminate the imposition of the sales tax. If Proposition D is approved, an independent committee comprised of three experts in financial matters will continue to convene every five years. The independent committee will report their recommendation to the Mayor and City Council as to whether the sales tax should remain in effect at the rate of one percent, or whether the City Council should reduce the rate of the tax or terminate the imposition of the tax.	”
—City's Attorney

Support

Supporters argued that the tax is essential to the city's efforts to provide adequate city services. They also pointed out that most of the tax revenue received from this sales tax comes from people who live outside of the city, making it a very beneficial tax for National City residents.

Mayor Morrison said, "Without that, in just keeping police and fire we wouldn’t have money for anything else. Parks and libraries would be closed. Streetlights would be turned off. People realized how important this is to the level of service that National City residents have come to expect and deserve.”

He continued, "Approximately 70 percent of this tax money is paid by people who don’t even live in National City. I think the people of National City have very clearly seen the advantages this tax has done during a time when surrounding cities are cutting back.”

Opposition

In general, opponents of sales taxes argue that they are regressive in nature, having a greater impact on poor people than on rich people.

Polls

According to an independent community opinion survey commissioned by the city, about 75 percent of respondents supported a renewal of the sales tax.

See also

• City tax on the ballot
• Local sales tax on the ballot
• San Diego County, California ballot measures
• November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• San Diego County Elections Office website