SAN MARCOS — San Marcos voters will be asked to approve a one-cent sales tax to generate up to $20 million in additional revenue for various city services in November, following unanimous approval by the City Council on Tuesday.
Revenue from the proposed sales tax, which now goes on the November 5 ballot, would go toward law enforcement and emergency response services, maintaining public streets and infrastructure, reducing traffic congestion, and maintaining parks, trails, playgrounds and community facilities.
The need for new local revenue sources has grown more apparent in recent years, especially as the population continues to grow and San Marcos maintains one of the lowest shares of property tax in San Diego County at 6.6%.
The city had to dip into reserves to close a $3.8 million budget gap in 2023 and could only balance this year’s budget by making cuts in most departments. Without new revenue, the city will not be able to maintain the current quality of life in terms of safety and cleanliness, officials said.
“Every budget season that I’ve been here, it’s been nothing but cutting. Cut enough, and you hit bone,” said Councilmember Mike Sannella. “For me, this is really an easy decision. It is never a tough decision to give our residents a voice.”
Members of the city’s budget committee, fire department and other organizations have urged the City Council to put the sales tax to voters for several months. The Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos, Deputy Sheriff’s Association of San Diego County, San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association have endorsed the measure.
At Tuesday’s meeting, dozens of residents showed up to voice their support for the measure during public comment.
“I have been amazed at the groundswell of support that has reared its head in the last couple months regarding this measure,” said Jay Petrek, a member of the Committee for a Safe and Strong San Marcos, the committee supporting the measure. “There’s been a lot of work to get to this point, and a lot of work, if this gets voted to the ballot, will be needed to get the support to grow.”
One of the measure’s main focuses is additional revenue for law enforcement and emergency services. San Marcos firefighters are in dire need of a fifth fire station, noting that their calls for service have nearly doubled since the last station was added in 2008.
“As our city continues to expand, public safety must remain a top priority,” said SMFFA President Jordan Abeel. “A 1% sales tax would provide a sustainable revenue source to support essential services without compromising our financial stability.”
San Marcos’s current tax rate is 7.75%, including 7.25% in state taxes and a 0.50% TransNet tax. The additional one-cent measure would increase the city’s overall rate to 8.75% for ten years.
To pass, the measure must be approved by at least 50% of voters. In a survey of San Marcos residents by True North Research earlier this year, 64% said they would probably or definitely vote yes in favor of a sales tax measure.
Some residents and city officials said that while increased taxes are not ideal, this measure will ensure that all of the revenue generated stays in the city.
“I’m somewhat reluctant about putting this on the ballot, for the reason of it being a very tough time right now financially for our families,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones. “I’ve always supported and believed that our residents should be involved in the community. They should have their voices heard.”
Nine of the 18 cities in San Diego County have their own local sales tax. Chula Vista, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Imperial Beach and National City each have a one-cent tax; El Cajon, Oceanside and Vista have a half-cent tax; and La Mesa has a 3/4-cent tax.
Encinitas and Escondido voters are being asked to approve their own one-cent sales tax this November. The city of Oceanside is also asking voters to extend their half-cent sales tax by another 10 years.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story previously included a misspelling of Jay Petrek’s name and has since been corrected.
