Paso Robles City Council voted Tuesday night to put a one per cent increase in sales tax to increase revenue. The spending priorities for the increased revenue would be police, fire and street repair. City Manager Tom Frutchey estimated the revenue would be about $10 million. Forty percent of that revenue would come from out of town visitors.
The council rejected an increase on the transient occupancy tax. Consultant John Fairbank of FM3 said it’s difficult for a city to gain passage of two tax increases on the same ballot. He said his surveys indicated Paso Roblans would approve a 1% increase in sales tax. So, in November voters in Paso Robles will vote on a measure to implement one per cent increase in sales tax. The tax would end in 12 years, although voters could repeal it before then.
