Three smaller cities in Solano County all facing budget deficits appear to have approved sales tax increase measures Tuesday.
All three measures require a simple majority vote. Suisun City’s Measure S appears to be passing with 72.06% of the vote, Rio Vista’s Measure K appears to be passing with 63.96% of the vote, and Dixon’s Measure J is a bit tighter but “yes” votes were leading with 54% of the vote as of the returns as of 10:43 p.m.
Suisun City Measure S
Suisun City’s Measure S will impose 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 pulled 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 stated that it is facing bankruptcy if it is unable to secure more revenue.
Rio Vista Measure K
Rio Vista is also facing a budget deficit of 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.
To offset that deficit, the City Council placed Measure K on ballot to 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.
Finally there’s Dixon, which has proudly stood as the city with the lowest sales tax in the county for years.
Dixon Measure J
Measure J, dubbed “Keep Dixon Dixon,” is a one-cent sales tax that will be used to maintain essential services. The current sales tax in Dixon is 7.38%.
“Our ability to maintain what makes Dixon special is at risk,” reads the “yes on Measure J” information sent to voters.
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.”
