Rio Vista council introduces 1% sales-tax measure to appear on November ballot

The Rio Vista City Council introduced Ordinance 005-2024 on first reading Tuesday and voted to place a proposed 1% transaction-and-use tax on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, a measure staff says would generate an estimated $1.675–$1.75 million annually and include a five‑year sunset and citizen oversight committee.

City staff and the council framed the proposal as a response to a projected budget shortfall. “After those cuts, the city is still experiencing close to a $500,000 budget deficit this year,” the presenter said, then described the council‑directed option: a 1% tax with a five‑year sunset and an oversight body. Staff estimated the measure would generate “somewhere between 1.675 and $1,750,000 annually.”

Supporters at the hearing said revenue would help preserve public‑safety and basic services and allow modest improvements. “This tax measure would be very important to Rio Vista,” Commissioner Chrissy said during public comment, urging younger residents to engage and describing needs such as a youth center, more first‑responder capacity and road repairs. Several speakers emphasized that the tax is a general tax (a simple‑majority threshold) and that an oversight committee would review proposed expenditures before funds are spent.

Opponents questioned transparency and long‑term fiscal discipline. “There’s a lack of transparency,” David (public commenter) said, urging clearer accounting; other residents asked for more detail on ballot language and whether a municipal‑fund alternative (requiring a two‑thirds vote) had been considered. Council members and staff said the ballot language before the council is the same language that would appear to voters and that the oversight committee language was added at council direction to provide checks before expenditures occur.

Councilmembers discussed the mechanics and limits: the ordinance is a general tax (simple majority to pass) and the sales‑tax ceiling that would require a state review is above Rio Vista’s proposed increase. Councilmembers noted that if the measure fails, the city would likely face service cuts; if it passes, the revenue would be available for general fund priorities the council and an oversight committee identify.

The council voted to introduce the ordinance on first reading and then adopted Resolution 2024‑059 to direct staff to place the measure on the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot and to prepare the impartial analysis for the measure. The roll call for the introduction vote recorded four yes votes and one absence; the resolution to place the measure on the ballot likewise passed on a roll call with the same attendance pattern.

Next steps: the ordinance will proceed through required administrative steps for placement on the ballot; staff and council also agreed to informational town‑hall meetings and fact‑based outreach explaining what the measure does and what could happen if it fails. The council emphasized that city staff may present factual, educational materials but cannot campaign for the measure.