Lafayette staff warns of structural budget gap, proposes half‑cent 'Measure H' sales tax

City of Lafayette Administrative Services Director Tracy Robinson presented the city’s fiscal outlook to the Planning Commission on Sept. 16, saying the city faces a structural budget deficit that would exhaust reserves in roughly five years unless revenue increases or spending reductions occur. Robinson introduced Measure H, a proposed half‑cent general sales tax on the November ballot, as the council’s plan to close the current gap.

Robinson said the city’s deficit for current service levels is “about 10% of the budget, which is a little bit over $2,000,000,” and that, under current trends, the city “will run entirely through its reserve in about 5 years.” She described the proposed Measure H as “a one‑half cent sales tax … in effect for 7 years” that would require a simple majority to pass and create a citizen oversight committee.

The presentation focused on Lafayette’s revenue structure and drivers of the gap. Robinson explained that Lafayette receives a relatively small share of county property tax (she cited “6.7%” of the 1% countywide property tax) and that the city’s principal…