Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Tax Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monterey survey shows support for 0.375% sales tax; parking tax has slimmer backing, vacancy tax backed despite legal challenge
Summary
A city-conducted poll of about 430 likely voters found backing for a 0.375% sales tax measure and majority support for a vacancy tax earmarked for housing; a proposed parking tax drew only a slim majority and the vacancy tax faces legal uncertainty due to ongoing litigation in San Francisco.
The city manager told listeners the city engaged a polling firm that reached roughly 430 voters and found a majority in favor of placing a 0.375% sales tax measure on the June ballot. "The data came back... in favor for a sales tax measure of adding point 375%," the city manager said.
He said one survey question combined the proposed 0.375% and an expiring 0.5% measure, which made that item unclear to respondents; the city will run a separate follow-up sample with different voters to clarify support. "We are going back... to another sample to ask that question," he said.
On a separate measure under consideration, the manager described a proposed parking tax on private parking lots that would add about 10% to 15% to parking fees, be collected by operators and remitted to the city, and could generate roughly $1 million to $1.5 million annually. "The parking tax that we are proposing would basically add 10 or 15% onto the parking fee... It has a potential to bring about a million a million5 in additional revenues to the city of Monterey," he said.
The manager said support for a vacancy tax—intended to direct revenue to housing programs—was stronger than he expected, and that respondents linked that idea to the top problems they named: affordable housing, cost of living and homelessness. He cautioned the city faces legal uncertainty: "There is a legal challenge right now in front of the courts... the San Francisco... vacancy tax is being litigated and it's not quite sure if the vacancy tax is actually constitutional," he said, noting that courts will determine whether taxing second homes is lawful.
The city manager framed next steps as cautious: the council has feedback from the survey, staff plans further polling on wording, and the council must decide whether to place measures on the ballot. The manager did not announce any formal council action or ballot language; those decisions remain with the city council.
