City of San Luis Obispo Sales Tax, Measure G (November 2014)

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A City of San Luis Obispo Sales Tax, Measure G ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was approved.

Measure G authorized the city to continue to impose a sales tax of 0.5 percent for eight years. The tax was originally approved in 2006 under the name Measure Y. As of 2014, the sales tax had brought in an average of $5.2 million per year in revenue to the city since it was first imposed in 2006.

This tax was designed as a general tax, which meant revenue from it was designed to go into the city's general fund to be used for any governmental purpose.

If this sales tax had been allowed to expire, the total sales tax rate in the city would have dropped to 7.5 percent, which was the minimum sales tax rate mandated by the state in California at that time. Since Measure G was approved, the total sales tax rate in the city remained at 8 percent.

Election results

City of San Luis Obispo, Measure G
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		8,728	70.32%
No		3,684	29.68%

Election results via: San Luis Obispo County Registrar of Voters

Text of measure

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

“

To protect and maintain essential services and facilities -- such as open space preservation; bike lanes and sidewalks; public safety; neighborhood street paving and code enforcement; flood protection; senior programs; and other vital services and capital improvement projects -- shall the City’s Municipal Code be amended to extend the current one-half percent local sales tax for eight years, with independent annual audits, public goal-setting and budgeting, and a Citizens’ Oversight Commission?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure G:

“	In 2006, 64.77 percent of City of San Luis Obispo voters approved Measure Y-06, which adopted Chapter 3.15 (ESSENTIAL SERVICES TRANSACTIONS (SALES) AND USE TAX) into the City’s Municipal Code. Measure Y-06 authorized an additional ½ percent City sales tax, which is currently included in the eight percent total sales tax rate applicable in the City. Since its effective date, April 1, 2007, the tax has generated an average of approximately $5.2 million in annual revenue to the City, through audited fiscal year 2012-13. Measure Y-06 approved a “general purpose tax,” meaning that all revenue raised from the tax can be used to fund any City project, operation or service approved by the City Council. Measure Y-06 provided: “The authority to levy the tax imposed by this chapter shall expire eight years from the operative date of this chapter, unless extended by the voters.” Unless Measure G-14 is approved by a majority of City voters voting in the November 2014 election, the current ½ percent local tax will expire after March 31, 2015 and the City will receive no further revenue from the local tax. Measure G-14 would amend Chapter 3.15 of the City’s Municipal Code to authorize the City to continue to levy a ½ percent local sales tax for another eight years. Measure G-14 would provide: “The authority to levy the tax imposed by this chapter shall expire in eight years, on March 31, 2023, unless extended by the voters.” Measure G-14 would continue the following fiscal accountability provisions included in Measure Y-06: 1) independent annual financial audit; 2) integration of the use of funds into the City’s budget and goal setting process; 3) annual citizen oversight meeting. Measure G-14 would add the following fiscal accountability requirements to Chapter 3.15: 1) “A citizen’s commission will be established to provide transparency and maximize City accountability. The Commission will be responsible for reviewing and making budget recommendations directly to the City Council regarding expenditures from the essential services transactions (sales) and use tax, and reporting annually to the community on the City’s use of these tax revenues”; 2) “The funds collected through the City of San Luis Obispo essential services transactions (sales) and use tax ordinance shall be accounted for and tracked by the City Treasurer separately to facilitate citizen oversight.” Measure G-14 would amend the existing annual community report requirement in Chapter 3.15 to require that “[a] written report shall be reviewed at a public hearing by the Revenue Enhancement Oversight Commission, and a summary will be provided annually to every household in the community detailing how much revenue is being generated by the measure and how funds are being spent.” A “yes” vote on Measure G-14 means the City will continue to levy a ½ percent local sales tax for another eight years. A “no” vote means that the current ½ percent local sales tax will expire and the City will not collect a local ½ percent tax after March 31, 2015.	”
—J. Christine Dietrick, San Luis Obispo City Attorney

Support

Supporters

The following individuals signed the official arguments in favor of Measure G:

• Patricia Andreen, city advisory body member and former school board president
• June McIvor, arts advocate, youth sports organizer and attorney
• Clint Pearce, president of Madonna Enterprises and past chair of the SLO City Tourism Business Improvement District
• Pierre Rademaker, small business owner and past president of the SLO Downtown Association
• Andrea Pease, architect and founding member of SLO Green Build

Arguments in favor

The following was submitted as the official arguments in favor of Measure G:

“	Approving Measure G would renew the half-percent sales tax that has paid for essential improvements in city services since San Luis Obispo voters overwhelmingly approved it in 2006. This revenue has been crucial in preserving and enhancing the quality of life in our city. Measure G will keep San Luis Obispo moving in the right direction, and we urge you to vote Yes. Measure G does not increase taxes. It simply renews a tax that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2006. In all, the half-percent tax has generated about $6.5 million a year, equal to 12% of the city’s operating budget. Importantly, about 72% of the tax has been paid by visitors, not by residents. We believe city officials have been responsive to residents’ needs and priorities, and have invested wisely. The revenue has enabled the city to fix potholes and resurface streets; to acquire open space and improve public parks; to increase and improve bike lanes, and to add police officers to enhance safety downtown and reduce noise in neighborhoods. Annual audits have verified these facts. And for greater accountability, City Council said the tax should be put to voters for re-approval after eight years. That time has come. Renewal will reinforce the city’s financial stability, and, importantly, these tax dollars will remain under local control. Additionally, a special citizens’ oversight commission will be created to monitor future spending and ensure that the revenue will continue to support essential services, such as police and fire protection, senior programs, park maintenance, street repair and open-space acquisition. As parents and grandparents, as environmentalists and business owners, as concerned citizens and as your neighbors, we enthusiastically support renewal of this half-percent sales tax for another eight years. We strongly urge you to vote Yes on Measure G.	”
—Patricia Andreen, June McIvor, Clint Pearce, Pierre Rademaker and Andrea Pease

Opposition

Opponents

A Vote No on G campaign was created to urge voters to reject Measure G.

The following individuals signed the official arguments in opposition to Measure G:

• Peg Pinard, former SLO Mayor and former SLO County Board of Supervisors Chairperson
• Richard Schmidt, teacher and former SLO Planning Commissioner
• T. Keith Gurnee, urban designer ad former councilmember

Arguments against

The following was submitted as the official arguments in opposition to Measure G:

“	Don’t be fooled again! Measure G is the “new” Measure Y – just another tax. G’s proponents promise to use it to preserve open space, make traffic flow, polish tarnished neighborhoods, and pave streets. Who’s not for that? They promised the same with Y, but promises weren’t kept. That’s because THIS TAX CAN BE SPENT FOR ANYTHING, so election-time promises are meaningless sales pitches, derived from years of polls paid for by you, the city taxpayer, to discover what you’ll vote for. Review of Measure Y expenditures shows voters didn’t get what they believed they’d get. Y collected $6,000,000+ a year. Where did it go? Spending for open space, traffic relief, and street construction didn’t change much before and after Y’s passage. WHAT CHANGED WAS SPENDING ON CITY SALARIES AND PENSIONS. Salaries grew about $6,000,000 per year, essentially absorbing Y’s tax proceeds. The city compensates too generously: our city manager earns 28% more than the Governor, her predecessor has a $159,000 pension. This pattern will NOT change under G. And deceptive new promises of “accountability” CANNOT GUARANTEE WHAT IS FUNDED. The city’s budget shows future intent: next year 2% of Y’s funds go for traffic relief, 3% for open space, 4% for neighborhoods, and 91% for general government expenses including bloated salaries and pensions. Proponents claim without G the city will lack funds to operate at high standards. Really? The city banks a huge cash reserve – equal to about 34% of its annual expenditures. This “surplus” accumulated year after year, even during the Recession, while the city talked about being broke. Measure Y’s account runs its own unspent cumulative surplus -- $4,300,000 was carried forward last year. This city’s not broke. Its public trust, however, is broken. Don’t be fooled again. Please vote NO on G	”
—Peg Pinard, Richard Schmidt and T. Keith Gurnee

See also

• Sales tax in California
• Local sales tax on the ballot
• San Luis Obispo County, California ballot measures
• November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• San Luis Obispo Elections Office website

Opposition

• Vote No on G website, accessed October 23, 2014