Residents of Arvin, California, a small city in Kern County, will consider a proposed 1% sales tax increase in November. The City Council unanimously voted to place the measure on the ballot, which Mayor Olivia Calderon says is necessary to address the city's long-standing financial deficit.
The proposed hike aims to generate approximately $2 million in additional annual revenue, according to city officials. Arvin is facing a structural deficit of $1.4 million, stemming from years of slow economic progress. The city's reserves, which ideally should be 25% of the budget (about $2 million), are reportedly less than $300,000.
"The city has grown. The city has changed. The city has aging infrastructure. And we get to save ourselves, Arvin. No one is going to save us but us," Calderon stated, emphasizing the need for local action to secure the city's future. If approved by voters, the sales tax rate in Arvin would increase from 8.25% to 9.25%.
This would be the first sales tax increase in Arvin since 2008. Mayor Calderon highlighted rising costs, including a 20% pay increase for the police department under an out-of-contract agreement, increased Kern County Fire costs from $1 million to $1.4 million, and a cease-and-desist order that has limited new sewer connections and hindered growth. The city currently relies on revenue from a 2008 measure that added a 1% sales tax, with over 80% of those funds allocated to public safety and the remainder to parks and public works.
The proposal has met with concern from some residents. Esteban Pineda Aguilar, a 30-year resident, expressed worries that the tax increase would disproportionately affect lower-income individuals, stating, "What we make is only to survive." To ensure voters are informed, the city has allocated $26,000 to a Democratic campaign strategy firm to conduct voter education in both English and Spanish.