The Shasta Association of Realtors is backing a One-Cent sales tax for the City of Redding. The endorsement joins those already declared by both Redding Police unions, the Firefighters Association, the Redding Chamber of Commerce, Redding Rancheria and Sierra Pacific Industries. The Redding City Council has called for a special election this November to ask voters to pass the tax. It won’t be as expensive as initially believed because the ballot will be combined with a state special election asking voters to approve a newly redrawn map of congressional districts. The city council will hold a special meeting at 3 O’clock Friday afternoon to approve two resolutions: one to ask the County Board of Supervisors to approve the combined ballot and another to appropriate $40,000 for potential legal costs. The tax would bring in an estimated $30 Million annually for roads, Redding Police and Fire, the Sheriff’s Office, parks, the Auditorium, the Rodeo Grounds and the airport. 10% would be set aside for discretionary spending. Unlike previous efforts to approve a local sales tax, this one only needs a simple majority to pass.
-Steve Gibson