Three smaller cities in Solano County will be voting on whether to increase taxes to fund essential city services that they say are at risk — Rio Vista, Suisun City and Dixon.
Rio Vista is a sleepy town with just over 10,000 residents that hugs the eastern edge of Solano County. Like many cities in the county, it is facing a budget deficit. For Rio Vista, that deficit is nearly $500,000 annually, according to the city clerk’s office. Part of the deficit is due to lackluster cannabis revenue that the city had been counting on to cover new fire engineer positions it filled. The city said it is also recovering from overtime paid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rio Vista: Measure K
To offset that deficit, the City Council has placed Measure K on the November ballot that would create a one cent transactions and use tax, also known as a sales tax.
According to the city, the measure would bring Rio Vista’s current sales tax of 8.125% up to 9.125% beginning in April 2025 and ending in April 2030. Any revenue generated would go into the general fund and could be used without restrictions.
However, the City Council said it intends on using the money to pay for road improvements, maintaining city services such as police and firefighters, replacing the current police station that is in disrepair, putting in a second fire station, and improving park facilities. If the tax is approved by a majority of voters, a citizens oversight committee will also be established to monitor the expenditures.
If the measure doesn’t pass, the city said it may have to reduce its firefighting, police and other city services. The city and county have not yet released information for voters from those who oppose the measure.
Rio Vista will be hosting an “Unpacking the facts about Measure K” town hall at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall at 610 St. Francis Way on Tuesday.
Suisun City is a quaint town just south of Fairfield flanked by marshes and protected open space with a population of about 29,000.
Suisun: Measure S
A 1% sales tax increase passed in 2016 is set to expire in 2026, so Measure S will go to voters in November as a 1.75% sales tax for 15 years. According to the city, this would generate roughly $6.75 million annually to be used toward general city services.
The city pulls no punches in its description of the need for the tax.
“Suisun City is facing a severe budget deficit that threatens the future of our city directly impacting the safety and quality of life for residents,” reads the city’s Frequently Asked Questions website about the measure.
The city further states that it is facing bankruptcy if it is unable to secure more revenue.
If passed by a majority of voters, the city said the money will go toward “addressing crime and public nuisances associated with homelessness,” keeping neighborhood police patrols, maintaining fire protection, improving emergency response times, and maintaining streets and fixing potholes.
The “No on Measure S” argument given to voters and endorsed by Michael Nolan, president of the Solano County Taxpayers Association, says that a sales tax places a greater burden on low-income earners. It also describes the additional sales tax as a short-term fix that doesn’t address underlying financial issues facing the city.
Dixon: Measure J
Finally, there’s Measure J in Dixon, a comparably conservative farm town at the northernmost tip of Solano County with about 19,000 residents.
Measure J is a one cent sales tax that will be used to maintain essential services if a majority of voters approve it, according to the city. The current sales tax in Dixon is 7.38%.
“We are proud of Dixon — a city with the lowest sales tax rate in California,” reads the “yes on Measure J” information sent to voters. “But now, our ability to maintain what makes Dixon special is at risk.”
The city says that though it has kept taxes low, “the world around us has changed.”
Police officers and firefighters are going to neighboring cities that pay them more, the city said. City officials promised that “every single penny generated by this measure will stay in Dixon and can’t be taken away by politicians in Sacramento.”
The “no on Measure J” arguments, also endorsed by Nolan along with residents William Thompson and Shari Borkin, point out that Dixon rejected the last attempt to raise sales taxes in 2022 when Measure D was defeated.
Opponents say the measure would increase the local sales tax by 70%, bringing the current local rate from 1.375% to 2.375% (the remainder of the tax goes to the state). This will increase the cost of living for residents and fall especially hard on the elderly, disabled, and low-income residents, they said. They also fear it will push more and more people away from patronizing local brick and mortar shops and instead go online for purchases.
Opponents also don’t trust a tax that will go into the general fund, to be spent on “any pet project” instead of supporting public safety or street maintenance.
“VOTE NO on Measure J,” says the argument against it. “They may hear you this time.”
