The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will hear an update on efforts to develop new tax measures that would be placed on the November 2024 general election ballot.
There are three measures that could be placed on next year’s ballot. The first is a general sales tax that would be collected in unincorporated areas of the county for general county purposes. The tax is a countywide library special sales tax, and the third is a countywide library special parcel tax, according to a letter to the Board of Supervisors from the county’s Executive Office.
A general sales tax can be used for anything that the county funds such as homelessness, climate initiatives, libraries and more. The measure would need a four-fifths vote from the board to go on the ballot. To pass a general sales tax in unincorporated parts of the county, it would need majority voter approval from unincorporated areas, according to the board letter.
The general sales tax can be used for any county-funded purpose, but a special sales tax or special parcel tax can be used only for a specific purpose and needs a super majority of voter approval to pass.
The county hired Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates Research (FM3 Research), an opinion, research and strategy firm, to conduct the survey to examine voter opinions toward the possible measures.
The survey is scheduled to take place in one week during late October and early November. The board will hear about the results of the polling in January and hear recommendations about whether they should move forward with adding the measures to the November 2024 ballot, according to the board letter.
The board also has discussed an increase in flood control assessments in Montecito and other areas, and a change to the cannabis tax, according to the board letter.
Cannabis would be taxed on a square-foot basis instead of a gross receipt basis.
A study of flood control mitigation measures in Montecito and related funding is already going on but will not be ready for the November 2024 ballot.
In April, budget workshop staff discussed establishing a new tax to generate additional revenue. It was discussed because of the continued financial operational needs faced by the Northern Branch Jail, fire safety improvements, a reduction in the deferred maintenance backlog, and increased employee costs, according to the board letter.
At the time, the board asked the Community Services department to hire a polling firm to conduct surveys in order to determine the possibility of new tax options, including a general sales tax increase for general purposes, and special taxes to fund flood control improvements and libraries.
The board appointed $80,000 to retain the polling firm and conduct the county surveys.
Tuesday’s meeting will be held in the board hearing room of the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 E. Lakeside Pkwy in Santa Maria. Residents can share their thoughts with the board during the public comment period.
