The City
Attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of
the proposed measure: Title: Initiative Measure to repeal local one percent sales tax.
Summary: On November 3, 2020, City voters approved Measure S, a local tax
measure that imposes a1.0% transactions and use tax within the City limits. A
“transactions and use tax” is commonly referred to as a “sales Tax”. A 1.0% sales tax is
equal to one cent for every dollar of a taxable retail purchase. The tax does not apply to
most food purchases such as groceries or prescription medications. The tax revenues
generated by the local sales tax are deposited into the City’s General Fund which
supports a variety of general municipal services, including, but not limited to the
following: emergency response services provided by the Crescent City Fire Department
and the Crescent City Police Department; maintenance and repair of City streets and
sidewalks; and the maintenance and operation of the Fred Endert Municipal Swimming
Pool.
The Measure S ordinance requires the City Council to appoint an oversight committee,
made up of 5 city residents, to review and publicly report on the expenditure of Measure
S revenues. In addition, the Measure S ordinance requires an independent audit of
local tax revenues and expenditures to be conducted each year in conjunction with the
City’s annual financial audit. The City Council has also tasked the oversight committee
with advising on the expenditure of Measure S revenues as part of the City’s annual
budget process.
Based on the first two full fiscal years of collecting the tax, Measure S generated an
average of $2.28 million in revenue each year. If approved by the voters, this initiative
would repeal the 1.0% local sales tax within the city limits. This means that individuals
who shop in the City would spend 1.0% less per taxable retail transaction, and that the
City would received approximately $2.28 million less each year to fund general City
municipal services and functions including the Fire Department, the Police Department,
the Fred Endert Municipal Pool, and street and sidewalk repairs. NOTICE OF
INTENTION TO CIRCULATE INITIATIVE PETITION. Notice is hereby given by the
person whose name appears hereon of their intention to circulate the petition within
Crescent City for the purpose of submitting an initiative measure to a vote of the people.
TEXT OF INITIATIVE: A statement of reasons of the proposed action as contemplated
in the petition is as follows; This measure was placed on the November 3, 2020 ballot
by the City Council establishing a 1% sales tax. 1.) We’re already taxed to death with
some of the highest taxes in the nation. Our local politicians don’t know when to stop.
Tax Busters needs to deal with reality. 2) Our volunteer fire department now has a Fire
Chief earning nearly $1/4 million with 3 Fire Captains working 2 days on and 4 days off
each at a six figure income partly paid with Measure S monies. Volunteers indeed! In
what universe? 3.) The City pool has never broken even let alone made a profit. Now it needs more than $1 million to fix it while our roads continue to deteriorate. The name of
the proponent: /s/ Ted Scott. THE PEOPLE OF CRESCENT CITY DO ORDAIN AS
FOLLOW: THE TEXT OF THE INITIATIVE MEASURE: The people of Crescent City
hereby ordain as follows; Measure S the 1% sales tax which was enacted as
Ordinance No 824 on 12/7/20 is hereby repealed at the next general election.
Published: May 8, 2024 Crescent City Times.com
