Atascadero City Council votes to put 1-percent sales tax on ballot
–The Atascadero City Council met Tuesday night, but it was a virtual meeting at the Rotunda.
Only City Manager Rachelle Rickard and the technical staff were present at the city council chambers. The council members and other city staff zoomed or called into the council meeting Tuesday.
After a lengthy discussion, the council voted unanimously to put on November’s ballot a proposal to implement a 1-percent sales tax. The revenue would be spent on police and fire protection and other essential services.
The council discussed at length the importance of how the proposal is described on the ballot. A survey of potential voters found that if the voters understood how the money was spent, they would be more inclined to support the measure.
Atascadero is one of several county cities considering the implementation of a sales tax increase. Paso Robles and Morro Bay are also looking at that possibility in light of the pandemic.
