A sales tax to support public safety in Shasta County has failed repeatedly, most recently just four years ago. Now the Board of Supervisors is considering taking another shot at it based on the need to house criminals. Any configuration that jail expansion may take is too expensive for the county’s current revenue flow, and it seems the only viable solution is to place a One Cent sales tax proposal on a ballot again and see if somehow it’s more palatable this time around. On Tuesday the board voted 3 to 2 to direct staff to draw up a ballot measure for the board’s consideration. The estimate is that a Half Cent tax would bring in $17.7 Million annually, and a One Cent tax would bring in $35.4 million. The question may appear on a county-wide ballot in November.
– Steve Gibson