Voters in the Unincorporated Areas to decide whether to Increase the Sales Tax in Unincorporated Monterey County

 

June 20, 2024, Salinas, CA: The County of Monterey Board of Supervisors has approved the placement of a

measure on the November 2024 ballot to increase the sales tax in the County's unincorporated areas by 1%.

If approved by the voters in the unincorporated areas of the County, the measure will address anticipated

budget shortfalls resulting from increased costs and funding cuts by the State and Federal Government.

This sales tax will raise approximately $29M to help the County maintain and enhance public services.

Use of Sales Tax Funds

Funds collected from the increase in the Sales Tax will be used to provide funding for critical County services,

including but not limited to:

• Street maintenance and pothole repair

• Enhanced public safety

• Programs to reduce homelessness

• Emergency services and disaster response, prevention, and recovery

• Libraries, parks, and recreation facilities

• Water and sewer infrastructure maintenance

• Healthcare

• Job skill development programs

• Traffic and road safety programs

• Clean affordable drinking water programs

Why is this increase needed?

Infrastructure and Regulatory Requirements

A significant increase in the cost of maintaining the County’s aged critical infrastructure has been compounded

with the rise in expenses driven by increased traffic on county operated and maintained roads, population

growth, infrastructure including water and wastewater systems, climate change impacts, and increased

regulatory requirements.

Infrastructure requires intensive maintenance, repair, and upgrades to ensure safety and functionality. To

address this need, the County must allocate substantially more resources to ensure resident and business

needs are met today and into the future.

Service Demand

More than ever before, residents need the services the County provides. This need is driven by both

population growth and economic circumstances.

Replenishment of Strategic Reserves

The onslaught of natural disasters, including major floods, fires, and strong winds – all in impacting the

County’s unincorporated areas - have severely drained the County’s strategic reserves. To replenish these

reserves and prepare for future emergencies added funding is necessary.

Public Safety

Modern safety and security require an investment in technology critical to ensuring the safety and security of

residents, workforce, and visitors.

Fiscal Sustainability and Impact

The existing sales tax rate in the unincorporated area lags every city in the County and several smaller

jurisdictions. Alignment will generate essential revenue to bridge funding gaps for needed services.

Conclusion

In summary, a proposed sales tax increase of 1% is a necessary and strategic response to the financial

challenges facing the County of Monterey. The increase will address the immediate need for revenue to

sustain and improve public services, enhance public safety and replenishes the County’s strategic reserve for

future emergencies. This also aligns the County of Monterey with a tax rate equal to neighboring jurisdictions.

Placement of this measure on the November 2024 ballot is a responsible and proactive step to secure the

County's financial future and continue delivering exceptional services to residents.

The Board of Supervisors for the County of Monterey urges residents to support this measure for the

November 2024 ballot to ensure the County’s fiscal sustainability and capacity to serve the community

effectively.