Lassen County, California, Measure J, Sales Tax (June 2018)
| Measure J: Lassen County Sales Tax |
|---|
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 5, 2018 |
| Status: |
 Defeated
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| Topic: |
| Local sales tax Expires in: Indefinite |
| Related articles |
| Local sales tax on the ballot June 5, 2018 ballot measures in California Lassen County, California ballot measures County tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Lassen County, California |
A sales tax increase was on the ballot for voters in Lassen County, California, on June 5, 2018. It was defeated.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of authorizing Lassen County to increase the sales tax by an additional three-quarters of one percent to fund the county's general fund. |
| A no vote was a vote against authorizing Lassen County to increase the sales tax by an additional three-quarters of one percent to fund the county's general fund. |
Election results
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Lassen County Measure J |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 1,734 | 28.51% | ||
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4,348 | 71.49% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall an ordinance be adopted authorizing the County of Lassen to collect a three-quarters of one percent sales tax (Transactions and Use Tax) for unrestricted general revenue purposes?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Lassen County Counsel:
| “ |
In the last several years, the total cost of employing the county workforce has risen dramatically. Between increases in health care costs, pension contributions (CalPers), and cost of living increases, the County has been unable to increase its workforce. In fact, over the last 10 years, the County workforce has been reduced by 5.5%. Additionally, the County is unable to fund its existing workforce with the revenues currently available. For the last several years, the County has had to use its reserves just to keep status quo. In the 2017-2018 budget year alone, $2.5 million dollars of reserves is projected to be used just to keep the existing work force and level of service. The reserves are all but gone. The Board of Supervisors now feels forced to either ask for an increase in revenue (sales tax increase) or face the possibility of cutting services. The City of Susanville is in the same position, perhaps worse. Because both the City and County believe they are in essentially the same position financially, both considered proposing a sales tax increase this election cycle. However, rather than having two competing tax measures on the same ballot, the City and County agreed that the County would propose one tax increase that would, through revenue sharing, offer a solution for both. On February 20, 2018, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance 2018-002 imposing a .75% increase in the local sales tax. This means that for all qualifying transactions, including purchases made by tourists and visitors alike, the amount of tax paid would increase from 7.25% to 8%. The estimated revenue from the increase, based on recent data, would be approximately $2.1 million dollars annually. To become effective, this ordinance must be approved by a simple majority (50% plus one) of all votes cast at the June 5, 2018 statewide primary election. Persons eligible to vote on the matter include all voters in the County of Lassen and the City of Susanville. Because this is a general tax measure, the proceeds could be used for any general County purpose including law enforcement, prosecution, defense, parks, probation, public works, etc. A “YES” vote on the measure is a vote in favor of authorizing the increase in the sales tax of three-quarters of one percent. A “NO” vote on the measure is a vote against authorizing the sales tax increase.[2] |
” |
| —Lassen County Counsel[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Lassen County, California.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lassen County Clerk - Recorder, "June 5, 2018 Election Candidate Statements & Measures," accessed April 23, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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