CONCERNS OVER PROPOSED SALES TAX IN GOLETA

The Chamber expressed concerns regarding the proposed Sales Tax Ballot Measure at the June 7th Goleta City Council meeting. The proposal of a 1 percent sales tax to be put on the November ballot is ill-timed due to the recent rise in inflation and increasing costs of business, and is an issue the Chamber has been following closely since the discussion began. The council reviewed polling results of Goleta voter’s sentiment toward the 1 percent sales tax, considered the City’s potential priorities for the $10.6 million the tax would generate, and discussed the timing of the sales tax. After doing so, the Council ultimately approved a 4-1 motion to put the sales tax on the November ballot, adding that if the measure were to pass, implementation of the tax would be delayed until fiscal year 2023-2024 with the intent to give residents and businesses time to adjust to inflation. The Chamber Board and Public Policy Committee will continue to monitor this process and provide further feedback on behalf of the business community.