SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - TelAve -- Peter Coe Verbica, candidate for Congress in California's 19th District and a signer of the "No New Taxes" Taxpayer Protection Pledge, weighs in on Santa Cruz County's proposed Measure E sales-tax increase.

Santa Cruz County is asking taxpayers for another half-cent sales tax for five years—reportedly an estimated $27 million a year, or roughly $135 million over the life of the tax. That is not pocket change. It is reportedly $135 million transferred from consumers and businesses to county government, on top of the taxes residents already pay.

What happens when sales taxes go up? At the margin, fewer cars are bought, fewer meals enjoyed at local restaurants, and fewer dollars are spent in local shops. When customers spend less, there can also be fewer entry-level jobs for young people.

The most important fact for voters is where that money goes. Measure E is structured as a general tax, meaning the proceeds go into the County's General Fund rather than being legally dedicated to a specific project or service. Whatever worthy programs are reportedly mentioned in the campaign for the measure, voters are fundamentally being asked to give county government another $135 million of broadly spendable revenue.

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Before approving another tax, taxpayers can reasonably ask a simple question: Has the County demonstrated that it has exhausted opportunities to cut waste, improve efficiency and prioritize existing spending before asking residents for more? Calling the measure a half-cent tax makes it sound small. Over five years, however, the County's own estimate makes the scale much clearer: reportedly approximately $135 million. That is the number voters should keep in mind.

"Voters deserve a straight answer before they're asked for another five years of a half-cent tax: what, exactly, has the County cut or fixed on its own first?"

— Peter Coe Verbica, Candidate for Congress, California's 19th District

For more information: Peter Coe Verbica, JD, CRPC®, CFP® (https://peterverbica.com/)

Paid for by Verbica for Congress.