The City of Redding is getting closer to imposing a special “Tobacco Retailer License” that would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes above the already heavy tax burden borne by smokers. Redding has 119 tobacco retailers but, unlike many California cities this size, there’s no registration or fee required beyond the $265 annual state fee for selling tobacco. Redding Police are getting revenue of $1,500 from the state each time they perform a minor decoy tobacco sting operation, which they’ve agreed to do 10 to 12 times per year. A presentation will be made to the City Council during next Tuesday’s meeting, showing Redding’s 29 vape and smoke shops currently pay a $13,000 annual fee to do business in tobacco. The imposition of a fee on all retailers that sell tobacco would be $3,185. The fee is intended to recoup the city’s enforcement costs, and does not aim to help close the city’s $5 Million budget gap.
-Steve Gibson