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Bill would let Hercules put up to 1% sales tax increase before voters to shore up services
Summary
SB 762 authorizes a local ballot question letting the city of Hercules ask voters to increase sales tax by up to 1% to sustain public safety and services; senators stressed clear voter disclosures because Hercules’s current combined rates are already high.
Sen. (author identified in committee record) presented SB 762 to allow the city of Hercules to place a local sales‑tax increase of up to 1 percentage point on the ballot. The sponsor said Hercules faces chronic revenue challenges because it is a low property‑tax jurisdiction and needs the option to raise local sales tax to preserve services such as fire protection, parks and youth and senior services.
Niccolo DeLuca, representing the city, said the bill simply gives voters the option and that required ballot information and the voter pamphlet will disclose the use and fiscal effects. "This merely allows the voters to decide if they want to move forward on this or not," DeLuca said.
Committee members urged caution about how the increase would be presented to voters and noted aggregate local rates. One senator said Hercules’s current combined sales‑tax rate was about 9.75% and warned that adding up to 1% could push the city into the top tier of statewide rates; senators emphasized clear financial statements in ballot materials.
Sen. Laird moved SB 762 and the committee passed the measure as amended to the Senate floor; the committee roll call recorded the motion carried.
