Santa Paula ponders 1-cent sales tax for November ballot

The Santa Paula City Council will discuss on Wednesday whether to put a 1-cent sales tax measure on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The local sales tax would generate about $4.5 million annually for the general fund, city estimates show. It would last until residents vote to repeal the measure.

City officials hope to raise money for street and pothole repairs, maintaining 911 call response times, cleanup of public areas, youth programs, business retention and other issues.

The new tax, if approved, could be used for any general city purpose, a staff report notes.

To make it to the ballot, the council must approve the measure with a two-thirds majority, or at least four of the five council members.

Once on the ballot, the measure would require a simple majority of voters in favor — 50% plus one vote — to be successful.

Community feedback collected by the city over the past six months or so showed residents are keenly interested in issues the city plans to address with the new tax, according to the staff report.

Road conditions and potholes are a top concern. Prior to the latest rainy season, outside engineers had already rated nearly half of Santa Paula’s streets as poor or very poor and road conditions have since worsened, the report says.

A separate survey of community concerns conducted by a class of juniors at Santa Paula High School found similar results, the city report notes.

Santa Paula voters previously approved a 1-cent sales tax, Measure T, in 2016. That measure was written to expire after 20 years.

Measure T is expected to sunset in 2036 unless voters vote to remove the sunset, said Jonathan Royas, deputy city manager for the city, in an email.

Santa Paula's current sales tax rate is 8.25%, Royas said. The cost to put the proposed measure on the November ballot is about $10,000.

The council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Santa Paula City Hall, 970 E. Ventura St.

To see the full agenda or watch meetings online, click on the "City Hall" link at www.spcity.org.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Paula ponders 1-cent sales tax for November ballot