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Monterey leaders outline $10M structural deficit and say 3.75% sales tax (Measure D) would close part of gap
Summary
City officials say the general fund faces a roughly $10 million shortfall and describe cost reductions already in place; they presented Measure D, a proposed 3.75% permanent sales tax expected to raise about $3M in year one and roughly $4.5M thereafter as a tool to avoid service cuts.
City officials told a public town hall that Monterey’s general fund faces a structural shortfall of roughly $10 million for the current fiscal year and that a combination of expense reductions and new revenue would be needed to avoid cuts to services such as library hours, park maintenance and public‑safety staffing.
Finance Director Rafella King presented the city’s budget picture, tracing the deficit to higher salary and benefit costs, increases in insurance and retirement liabilities, added debt service for recently purchased fire equipment and an increase in authorized full‑time equivalents. “So in order to fix it there’s two things to do: you need to either increase your revenue and decrease your expenses,”…
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