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By CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
A hike in sales tax could be in the future for Healdsburg residents, depending on the results of a community poll.
The city has put out a request for proposals from consultants to design a poll to gauge sentiment for a sales tax increase.
The poll could also measure public support for redistributing hotel bed tax revenues, most of which now go to park and recreation programs.
Any sales tax hike, or a change in how bed taxes are allocated would need voter approval.
City Manager Marjie Pettus said Tuesday that a measure would not be placed on the ballot until next year, in June or November of 2012.
“We won’t take any action until we see what the response is and what type of money we might be talking about,” she said.
She said the City Council could award a contract for the poll in October and the sampling of voter opinion would take place in November.
In May, City Council members tentatively approved spending $25,000 for the survey. The action arose during budget sessions when the council discussed ways to plug a chronic deficit in the general fund.
Council members discussed raising the sales tax rate by as much as a half-percent from the current 9 percent.
That would put Healdsburg on par with Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Cotati, all of which have 9.5 percent rates.
Other cities in Sonoma County have a 9 percent rate, other than Sebastopol which has 9.25 percent.
Pettus said a community poll will likely try to ascertain the possibility of changing how hotel bed tax revenues are spent.
Currently of the 12 percent bed tax, 10 percent goes to park and recreation programs and 2 percent to the general fund.
The City Council several years ago was considering placing a sales tax hike before voters, but decided to forego it, to avoid competing with a sales tax ballot measure to pay for SMART commuter trains.
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Those who want a tax cut, hands up.
The voters of Healdsburg should look closely at the blatant fraud called Measure A that was committed in Cotati.
First, they said it would net between $600,000 — $900,000 per year. Then they said the funds would be used to “keep Cotati safe.”
The truth? Actual revenues are $480,000 or less. The total of sworn officers before Measure A? 10. The total after? 10.
Or course, they did spend $105,000 of the money on a new Economic Development Director.
So here’s a thought for the Healdsburg city council: Instead of spending $25,000 on a survey to learn how little public servants are trusted these days, just pick up the phone yourselves. Call 200 citizens. And brace yourself for an earful of righteous indignation.
THE FOLLOWING IS HOW YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT. DO YOU LIKE BEING ROBBED ?
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San Diego, CA
August 25, 2011
The bright-yellow emergency call boxes that line the highways and backcountry of San Diego County have dropped in use over the last two decades — from 170,511 calls in 1990 to 11,625 in 2010.
During the same time period, special tax revenue that supports them has grown to $2.6 million annually from $1.9 million, fueling a bureaucracy that has built up $12.8 million in reserves and spends its time seeking projects to enhance motorist safety in new ways.
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GOVERNMENT HAS PLENTY OF MONEY. THEY JUST REFUSE TO RETIRE OUTDATED PROGRAMS.
I should have mentioned that the second recession is nearly upon America with 100,000 post office employees scheduled to be laid off as well as 10,000 Bank of America employees, too. Yes, those are real numbers. Google them.
The city, county, and state government can cut back just like the rest of us. NO new taxes. CUT the budget you have until you match your income. Don’t ask us for more money because you won’t get it.
There is a simple solution. Cut spend to match current income. Who is demanding all of these “new or additional” government services?
First thing a politician or bureaucrat does is raise taxes to support their personal income and benefits and the incomes of their public union servants.
Enough is enough! Cut the government spending in Healdsburg and get to work on what really needs to be done like fixing the roads, bridges and schools.
A sales tax takes food out of the mouths of the poorest among us. The homeless and low wage workers eat at fast food restaurants; they have little choice. Restaurant meals are taxed. Have steak and lobster at home, no tax. Business meals are tax deductible.
Pet food is subject to sales tax. Have you seen young people and their pets transiting our cities? A pet may be some one’s only friend in a lonely, hungry world.
The poor did not cause this economic problem, nor did they imprudently spend our public funds. But they’ll pay for it, if this passes. The poorest among us are hardest hit by this regressive tax. Sales tax is a soak the poor tax and that is wrong !
It’s been reported, Marie Antoinette said – let them eat cake. Will Healdsburg say, let them eat cake and we’ll tax it !
Thumb down = no sales tax increase.
Ever notice that they never publish all their various spending categories so the public can actually see what black hole the money is being dumped into ?
The public has been convinced that “Park & Rec” are mandatory necessities of local and state government. That category is purely a luxury and should be eliminated almost entirely before they whine for more tax money from us.
Cut Public Safety & school funding, everything EXCEPT waste (like the $25K for this “poll”) and the sheeple will vote give us more money.
A time tested method of manipulating the tax payers.
We have heard over and over again that it is not the lack of revenues that cause govts to not have enough money, but uncontrolled spending!
A 9% sales tax for this area is way out of line when considering the limited services or lack of them given residents.
Cut salaries, cut frivolous spending, and get illegls out of the county and out of our schools and hospitals and there may be reason to cut the sales tax!
I recently heard Sheriff Freitas say he was working on the consolidation of midnight shift dispatch functions between the S.O., Santa Rosa PD and Petaluma PD, a move that would save about a million dollars a year. I suggest Healdsburg look into joining this and other cost cutting measures before before asking its residents to cough up yet more taxres. There are efficiencies to be achieved before additional taxes are justified.