Press Releases Share Print #20-016 CARSON VOTERS ASKED TO CONSIDER A SALES TAX OF .75% IN UPCOMING NOVEMBER 3 ELECTION At its August 4, 2020 meeting, the City Council approved adding a ballot measure to have Carson residents consider a 0.75% transaction and general tax in the November 3rd General Election. Currently, the combined sales tax rate in the City is 9.5%. Of this amount, the City receives only 1%. The revenues collected from the Transaction and Use Tax will be used to restore, protect and enhance City of Carson services such as public safety, street maintenance, building maintenance, transportation, food and health services (free COVID-19 testing, funding for grants and loans to local small businesses, emergency rental assistance), anti-gang and anti-drug prevention programs for at-risk youth and their families as well as after-school programs to prevent students from dropping out. The sales tax is the City of Carson’s primary revenue source at 28% of total General Fund resources. The estimated Fiscal Year 2020-2021 sales tax revenue is $23.2 million, which is $1.4 million below Fiscal Year 2019-2020 forecast. To stay within the maximum rate of 10.25%, there is only 0.75% remaining available for Carson to increase its sales tax revenue from sales generated within the City’s boundaries. If a sales tax at the rate of 0.75% is approved by the voters, the revenues collected from this sales tax will be deposited in the City’s General Fund to fund City services and programs for its residents instead of other taxing jurisdictions like the County of Los Angeles. “We need to ensure that progress continues in Carson and the level of security and public safety does not decline. Funds from the sales tax ensure that our local tax dollars remain in Carson to protect our essential city services. This small increase will make a huge impact to boost our local funding to maintain’ Carson’s 911 emergency response and public safety, protect small businesses that provide local jobs, and make public areas clean and safe,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dear.The City of Carson’s sales tax rate is 9.5% generating annual revenue of $23 million. An increase of the sales tax from 9.5% to 10.25% would generate an additional estimated $11.9 million to the City’s total annual revenue.
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