Sales tax increase on November ballot would ‘help maintain our Clovis way of life’

The city of Clovis sees itself coming up against a problem.

Its proposed solution: a 1% sale tax increase that would address deficiencies in public safety and city services.

“Our community is facing new and growing challenges from crime and homelessness coming from neighboring communities, increasing potholes on local streets and roads, and increasing costs of providing basic services,” City Manager John Holt said in a statement Monday, following a unanimous vote by the city council to put the tax on the ballot for November.

“This measure will help maintain our Clovis way of life.”

If passed, the increase would bring in $28 million annually, beginning in April.

The money is needed.

Clovis is expecting a shortfall in revenue. A five-year forecast presented before the council in March estimated a $14.4 million deficit. Sales tax revenues came in $3 million below a June 30 budget projection.

At the same time, city services are unable to keep up with a growth in both population (127,511, according to one site) and overall footprint (with large developments popping up on the edges of town).

The police department has seen a staffing increase of 8% since 2006, Holt said in a presentation before the council Monday. Several programs within the department have been eliminated or reduced over the years, including the FBI task force.

There are currently three traffic officers for the city.

The fire department, meanwhile, has fewer sworn officers than it did in 2006, which is making it hard for firefighters to do their jobs.

“Our department is struggling to meet the response times standards we have set for ourselves,” Clovis Firefighters Association President Trent McGill said during Monday’s council meeting.

The current standard should be six minutes and thirty seconds, but can be as long as 11 minutes.

Need across departments

While public safety makes up 87% of the discretionary money in the general funds and would be the primary focus of the tax, there are needs across each of the city’s general fund departments, Holt said.

The Senior Services Department, for example, has seen a 50% increase in the number of patrons coming into its senior center.

“I’ve got the same number of staff supporting them,” Holt said.

“So the math doesn’t exactly work.”

Where does Clovis rank for sales tax rates?

A 1% increase would bring the sales tax in Clovis to 8.975%, moving it from one of the lowest rates in Fresno County to one of the highest.

Coalinga, Fowler, Huron, Kerman, Kingsburg and Parlier all have sales tax rates of 8.975%.

Medota and Reedley have rates of 9.225%.

Fresno’s is 8.350%.

San Francisco’s is 8.625%.

Cities in Alameda County have the highest average sales tax rates in the state, with several cities at 10.75%.