San Pablo voters will decide in November on a tax measure that could generate around two million dollars-a-year to fund services like public safety, senior and youth programs and street maintenance.
The proposal, approved to go on the ballot by the City Council on July 13, would raise the city's sales tax from 9.5% to 10%. It would stay in effect for five years before automatically falling to 9.75%.
The city recently balanced its budget for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28 by drawing from one-time operating reserves, freezing vacant positions and reducing nonessential contracts.
City officials argue that relying on reserves for recurring expenses is unsustainable.
They added that San Pablo is also facing rising labor costs, health care and insurance costs, combined with stagnating revenue from the San Pablo Lytton Casino.
