XPost: oc.general, alt.politics.democrats, talk.politics.guns
The extension of a sales tax that has been credited with keeping
Westminster financially afloat moved forward after residents chided city officials for years of indecision.
On Friday, four of five City Council members agreed to place a measure on
the November ballot asking voters to renew the 1% sales tax for the next
20 years.
The sales tax, called Measure SS, has brought in $81.5 million since it
first passed in 2016. Money from the tax makes up roughly a quarter of the city’s operating budget, funding staff and city services. If voters do not approve its extension, it will sunset on Dec. 31.
The deadline to place items on the ballot was 5 p.m. Friday. Without the
tax, the city is projected to go bankrupt by 2024, even with drastic cuts.
Those cuts would likely result in closed parks, unpaved streets and the elimination of youth and senior programs, as well as staff layoffs,
including a 33% reduction to the police force in a city that has been
running on thin staffing for years, said City Manager Christine Cordon.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-12/orange-county- westminster-tax-november-ballot
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