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Santa Rosa finance staff lays out how local sales tax is collected and shared
Summary
Deputy Director Scott Wagner explained the composition of sales tax receipts for Santa Rosa, clarified the Bradley‑Burns pass‑through and transaction/use tax differences, and described limits to local revenue driven by online sales and tax allocation rules.
Deputy Director Scott Wagner of the Santa Rosa Finance Department gave the Economic Development Subcommittee a primer on how sales tax reaches the city and what local officials can and cannot control.
Wagner told the subcommittee that for a $100 taxable purchase in Santa Rosa the local government receives $1.75 — a direct city sales‑tax rate of 1.75% — and that sales tax provides roughly 35% to 40% of the city’s ongoing general‑fund revenue. He said the state and county also receive shares of sales tax and that the city’s total combined rate places Santa Rosa “towards the middle” compared with other county cities.
The presentation drilled into three revenue streams: the Bradley‑Burns pass‑through from the state (which Wagner said returns a 1% Bradley‑Burns share to the city), district…
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