Sebastopol voters to weigh 1/2-cent sales tax increase in November

Sebastopol council unanimously puts sales tax initiative on ballot.

photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB
A downtown Sebastopol alley, looking toward a vacant storefront, formerly Jasper's.

Following much hemming and hawing late into the night, Sebastopol's city council this week unanimously agreed to place a half-cent sales tax increase before the small city's voters in November.

According to city officials, Sebastopol had little choice.

Without a bump in revenue, budget deficits would consume reserves in a few short years.

While a recent poll of city residents found support for the measure around 70 percent, elected leaders said they don't relish the ask.

Addressing the council, resident Kyle Falbo told them he'd vote for it, but took issue with both the strategy and outreach conducted by the council and a consulting firm, calling it disingenuous.

"We see, a sales tax measure that's leaning heavily into police, fire, safety, right using this like coded language to pitch a sales tax to the public, when we all well know that this is going to the general fund. By all means, get your revenue that you need, but consider in the future just being honest about the approach that you take in asking the public," Falbo said.

A speaker identifying herself as Dorothy told the council that local residents are all too aware of neglected infrastructure, and urged the council to focus on that.

"If you tie the tax to the sewer, and the water, because we all know, or just let them all fail and then people will understand why they should have signed and bought on to the tax," she said.

Resident Mary Cone leveled a pointed critique at what she considers vague text  describing how the tax increase could be reversed.

"What does until ended by voters mean? How do voters end the tax, or is this like our hospital tax, we just keep paying and paying and paying."

Cone's comment had impact. The council altered the proposal, adding a hard sunset date of 12 years.

If voters approve it, the sales tax increase would take affect next year on April 1st. As structured, it needs a simple majority of yes votes to pass.