The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday will discuss placing a 10-year, half-cent sales tax on the November ballot to pay for “essential public services and facilities that maintain and protect our community’s high quality of life,” according to a staff report.
“Many city facilities that support the community’s most valued programs and services are several decades old and nearing the end of their useful lifespans after constant use by tens of thousands of individuals and families,” the report says.
“To fund these current and future needs, the city council is asked to consider placing a ten-year, (half) cent sales tax increase on the November 8, 2022 ballot for voter consideration.”
In a sheet titled “City of Walnut Creek 2022 Local Revenue Feasibility Project” the city says its greatest needs include public safety, addressing homelessness, services for seniors and youth, COVD-19 response/economic recovery, and facility projects.
The half-cent sales tax would go to the city’s general fund. City staff estimates the increase would cost the average Walnut Creek family approximately $10 per month. About 50 percent of the revenue generated by the tax would come from non-residents. It would rase about $11 million annually. All the money would stay in Walnut Creek to be used on city services and facilities.
The staff report says Walnut Creek current sale tax rate is 8.75 percent – the lowest of all Contra Costa County cities.
If the city decides to take the proposal to its voters, it must file the measure with the county registrar of voters by Aug. 12.
The Walnut Creek City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chamber at city hall, 1666 North Main Street in Walnut Creek.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that a “temporary” tax is never temporary. if you allow them to impose a “temporary” tax, it will become part of the base going forward.
+1
So true!
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They never even think about cutting expenses. Always More! More! More!
+1
“Read my lips: No new taxes.”
Would have appreciated a link to the staff report. Not a good time to raise taxes during Putin’s Price Hike. General Fund? Unless money is earmarked, we’ll never know if it’s used for salary increases. Prop. 27 is supposed to “take care of” the homelessness problem, no? Worst inflation in decades; gas prices have never been higher; is this the right time to consider a tax increase?
Tax Increase of 10.5, they need to be more specific, in addition to the current sales tax or from 9.75 to 10.5. $50 bucks is a lot of money.
The “Rolex bandits” struck again in WC on Monday. This time is was on Grover Lane…two people followed home and robbed (no word if it was Rolexes this time).
This measure would pass easily IF all the money was earmarked for additional police and other security measures in WC. Of course that won’t be the case.
You’ve got to love this line “protect our community’s high quality of life”!
Not sure who pays for street repair but yesterday I saw 11 employees watching one person work on Ygnacio Valley Road near downtown Walnut Creek. Walnut Creek turned a residential street into a chicane with permanent cones in front on several peoples homes. A street I have traveled on every day for over forty years and have never seen a problem there. I would say it lowered property values for those homes big time. Looks like hell.
The city needs to clean up its act.
+1 …agree but won’t hapen …. they have a mayor pro-tem process with 5 council members so they never cross each other
San Carlos Dr.?
Walnut Creek, the Beverly Hills of the East Bay. 😄
Exactly what is needed during a recession and 9+ plus inflation.
There is no such thing as a temporary tax.
This tax will be on the ballot and it will win.
Dominion always wins.
Absolutely true!
Its true. Look at all the elections, where we voted for higher taxs. California has not had a fair legal election in 40 years.
“..addressing homelessness…”
Hey, did you watch that interview with the homeless fellow in San Francisco the other day?
When asked by the “reporter’ about getting himself off the street and into a “social” program, the man bravely states, in effect. “Why? the City pays me more each month than I could ever make working and plus I have a free cell phone, pre-loaded with Netflix and Amazon.” This is where your hard working tax dollars are headed…this and Ukraine, and underfunded government pensions, etc, etc.
I remember when the old sales tax was going to sunset not long ago. The smart cookies in the local government told you that their “new” sales tax (to replace the outgoing one) “would not raise your taxes.” You fell for that one too, remember?
But, it’ll pass, bet on it.
Your tax dollars….bye!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGaWD2GMh8Y&ab_channel=FoxNews
More merchandise being stolen then being sold, therefore they need to increase tax revenues
they need to tax “fencing” of stolen goods. That will bring plenty of money into their coffer.
Yah, We tried that in Concord “a ten year tax”
guess what it’s still there plus the not so smart people in this city voted for another tax on top of that one. Now we’re paying 9.75 % . If I’m looking for a big ticket item I won’t be look for it in Concord.
+1
Go ahead and deny the spenders the money, I dare you. When cost saving moves are undertaken you can bet your last dollar it’ll be on something that will hurt the most.
Different day, same story.
They will threaten to close police and fire stations. These are obviously the least important government institutions.
And the idiots will fall for it AGAIN!
The money goes in the general fund . Who knows how it will actually be spent?
Tax and spend liberals.
Calpers retirees get screwed by windfall eliminatIon, social security automatically takes 400 a month. They are consider public servants and get punished for it!
Medicare just raised cost by 40 bucks for those who take a very expensive alzheimers drug, why is that fair to those who don’t need it! Seniors get the smack down constantly while they consider paying student debt, are ya kidding me!
It’s never enough and it’s never ending; and they endlessly ask(and take) more and more and more and more….
Where does it all go???
I can telll you where a big chunk of it is going to go – a gold plated Heather Farms pool refurbishment… something around $60M !! and don’t forget the $10.7M they funded for the affordable housing on YVR …….. and in the mean time the YVR re-paving project is being delayed again? It soooooo badly needs it (beyond San Carlos).
Tax increases; low-income housing (projects) downtown. All they need now is a multi-million dollar school bond and the anti-trifecta will be complete.
The voters may oppose the new projects, but they’ll support tax increases every time.
City of WC: “The city needs more police!”
Taxpayers: “Why?”
City of WC: “Because the new projects downtown brought in criminals! You remember those? The ones we shoved down your throats?”
Anon – WC has approval and funding to hire 5 more officers – to date – none
With a huge budget surplus they still want to tax us to death. Enough is enough I will no longer support Walnut Creek if this passes.
Law abiding over taxed citizens who vote are always getting screwed every which way. It has to stop. You cannot get blood out of a turnip. Have the elected officials and BART officials, just to name a few of the overpaid, reduce their salaries before you come to us, where the well is way past dry.
Tired of supporting your green-socialist-woke issues. Money is not used wisely and the voters must pay attention and step up – 1st of all vote and stop complaining. I have never missed an election since I was 18.
What will it take to get people with half a brain to wake up. Check your empty wallets and gas tanks.
There is no such thing as a “Temporary Tax” or a permanent Californian!
Many of you have a choice. After +60 years I made the escape out of Kleptofornica. No income tax, property tax 1/4 that of our previous house (we owned it for 28 years), sales tax equal to CA. Better roads, less crime and more freedom.
Obviously this will be a very short discussion.
It’s very INTERESTING that Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Alamo, Danville taxes are LESS than Antioch, Pittsburg etc….aka the poorer areas.
The Poor pay MORE taxes
PERIOD. And THIS IS why you people Can never get ahead in life.