Del Rey Oaks seeks to extend sales tax through Measure F
DEL REY OAKS, Calif (KION) Del Rey Oaks isn’t the smallest city in Monterey County, but it’s close – a half square mile in size, with a population under 2,000.
If it has a Main Street, it’s Canyon del Rey CA-218. Retail is anchored at one end by a car wash and a large Safeway store. At the other end are the stores in Stone Creek Village.
Measure F would extend the city’s 1 percent "transactions and use tax" indefinitely. Like all sales taxes, it is ultimately paid by shoppers. Some pay more attention to sales taxes than others.
"One cent above everybody else, from what I've heard. I mean, I won't buy my gas over there because it adds up," said another shopper, Robert Cayce.
"No, I have never paid attention to that,” said Cecilia Contreras. "Sometimes you just pay and don't even pay attention to what you just paid -- how much you paid in taxes, or just paid."
In Del Rey Oaks, the city’s sales tax amounts to 1 percent. Combined with state and county taxes, Del Rey Oak’s sales tax adds up to 9.25 percent, the same as Marina, Salinas and Seaside.
City manager Dino Pick says the tax provides a big part of the city’s annual budget.
“It’s about $600,000 a year,” he said. Sales tax revenue pays for city services, from crime prevention to parks and sidewalk repair..
“We are a wonderful, small residential community here,” said Pick, “but we provide all of the services of a much larger full-service community.”
The city’s voters will decide the issue March 3rd. It takes a simple majority to pass.
