Clovis now has second-highest sales tax in Fresno County. Here’s what it pays for
A 1% tax increase is on its way to shoppers in Clovis next week, helping to preserve the “Clovis way of life.”
Effective April 1, the sales tax rate will rise to 8.975% and apply to all purchases made in the city, meaning a consumer should expect to pay $8.975 in sales tax on a $100 purchase.
The sales tax increase means Clovis will go from having one of the lowest sales tax rates in Fresno County to the second-highest rate in the county. Reedley and Mendota have the highest sales tax in the county at 9.225%. In the city of Fresno, consumers pay 8.35% sales tax.
The increase is the result of voters’ approval of Measure Y, a bond to support public safety and city services. The measure will generate approximately $28 million annually to reduce response time for emergency calls, maintain police patrols and fire protection, accelerate repairs to streets and parks and address homelessness, among other usages.
The bond passed in November with nearly 67% voter support.
Clovis has struggled financially to hire additional public safety personnel to keep up with the city’s rapid population growth. The city’s population has grown by 50% in the last 20 years and now stands at approximately 127,000.
In 2005, the police department had 101 sworn officers, a number that has increased slightly to 105 in 2021. In 2006, the city had 68 firefighters who responded to 8,509 calls. Last year, the city’s 67 firefighters responded to 13,422 calls, according to a February staff report to the City Council.
“We’re basically limiting our expenditure growth based on our revenues,” said Jay Schengel, finance director for the city. “Currently we’re only trying to fund operations, so we’re not planning for the future, for any capital needs or any emergency reserve.”
Clovis’ General Fund would face a $14 million deficit over the next five fiscal years if it maintained current staffing levels without the influx of funds from Measure Y, Schengel told the council.
With the 1% increase in sales tax, the city plans to fund 50 additional police officer positions, 18 additional firefighters, and 14 positions to support parks and streets over the next five years. The bond will also help to fill the city’s emergency reserve.
Clovis is in the process of setting its budget for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Budget hearings will be held in the City Council meetings and continue through early June.
City Manager Andrew Haussler shared the proposed Measure Y spending for the next fiscal year at a council meeting earlier this month. The city’s proposal would allocate 92% of the money to the police and fire departments. The rest of the bond funds would be used to address homelessness, repair streets and roads, maintain youth and parks programs, and other administrative purposes.
