WALNUT CREEK — City officials are mulling whether to ask voters to pass a half-cent sales tax increase in the November election to help pay for a wish list of enhanced programs or facility improvements.
If approved by more than 50% of voters, the tax increase would be the city’s first ever, according to City Manager Dan Buckshi. A recent survey of residents indicates there’s support for the sales tax hike, which would generate about $11 million annually over a 10-year period, he said.
Although the survey’s sample ballot question tries to gauge residents’ interest in bolstering funding for crime prevention, public safety or disaster preparedness, Buckshi said it also asks about other potential expenditures that city officials may determine deserve higher priority, such as redoing a community center at Civic Park, a city-owned art school on Shadelands Drive, a public swimming pool at Heather Farm and the park itself.
“The vast majority of our infrastructure can be maintained, but we have those four facilities that are in need of replacement,” Buckshi said.
The survey also asks residents how they feel about paying more for youth and senior programs, sustainability initiatives and financial aid to local businesses.
Because it’s considered a general tax, however, the sales tax increase doesn’t have to be spent on any of those things. The extra revenue goes into the city’s general fund to be spent at the City Council’s discretion, including operational expenses.
And if the council decides to spend the money on park, pool and art school improvements, there wouldn’t be nearly enough to go far because those projects together would cost upwards of $150 million. Heather Farm Park’s facilities, which Buckshi said could emerge as the top priority, would cost $60 million alone to replace.
Buckshi suggested the council isn’t likely to use the money to pay for existing city services because Walnut Creek is in “sound financial shape.”
The city received about 400 responses to the eight-page survey, which also included broader questions about how Walnut Creek could improve. The survey was developed by EMC Research, an Oakland-based data analytics firm, and distributed to random city residents.
While the city hasn’t finished tallying the responses, Buckshi said they suggest there is broad support for a sales tax increase.
Sales tax increases have a track record of passing in the region. In 2020, Contra Costa County voters approved Measure X, a half-cent sales tax that ended up paying for an array of service enhancements, by a large margin.
But on the mobile app Nextdoor, many who heard about the Walnut Creek survey chimed in against a tax.
“Our ‘city leaders’ and those who vote for them repeatedly should be the ones to pay this proposed new tax!” one resident wrote.
Another derided city leaders for letting development “go rampant” and promoting Walnut Creek as a ” ‘Destination City’ at the cost of Public Safety and the neglect of neighborhoods.”
The proposed tax increase also had a few supporters, including a resident who wrote: “Taxes pay for civilization.“
