04/16/2024

Sales tax increase is only way Chula Vista can hire more cops, mayor says

Raising Chula Vista’s sales tax is the only way the city can afford to hire more cops and firefighters, Mayor Mary Salas said during a public forum Thursday evening.

Voters will have a chance to approve or reject a half-cent sales tax increase in June’s election. The money will go toward the general fund, but the city set up an oversight committee to make sure it goes to hiring police officers and firefighters.

. . . Analysts say rising pension costs are projected to triple, taking a bigger cut of the general fund. Despite cost-saving measures and modest revenue increases, analysts anticipate year-over-year deficit growth that will grow to $10 million in 2020 and $29 million in 2023, according to their report.

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