Mendocino considers raising sales tax

<p>Mendocino County supervisors on Tuesday will consider placing a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot, a proposal aimed at ameliorating cuts to public services.</p><p>It could generate an estimated $5.4 million a year.</p><p>“This isn't the panacea to fix the county budget, but it's one piece” of a solution, said 4th District Supervisor Kendall Smith, who asked the board to consider the tax.</p><p>Government officials throughout the state, including those in Santa Rosa, are proposing tax increases to boost their declining revenues. Cotati and Rohnert Park already succeeded in passing sales tax measures in June.</p><p>If approved by voters, sales tax in unincorporated Mendocino County would rise to 8.75 percent, the amount currently being charged in the cities of Ukiah, Willits, Fort Bragg and Point Arena. The tax rates in those four cities would increase to 9.25 percent, according to the county Auditor-Controller's Office.</p><p>Last year, $10.75 million in sales tax was generated countywide, said Lucy Simonson, accountant for the Auditor-Controller's Office. Of that, $3.7 million went back to the county, Ukiah received $3.6 million, Willits $1.6 million, Fort Bragg $1.3 million, and Point Arena $60,000, she said.</p><p>An additional $1 million in sales tax revenue was divided among the cities.</p><p>Smith said the potential new revenue is crucial to maintaining any semblance of county services.</p><p>Like counties elsewhere, Mendocino has slashed services, eliminated the coast animal shelter and cut staff, but it is still almost $5 million short of balancing its $56 million discretionary budget.</p><p>The proposed sales tax would require a simple majority of the voters to pass because it does not specify how the money would be spent. </p><p>The board has until Aug. 6 to approve placing a proposed initiative on the November ballot, Ranochak said.</p>