Lemon Grove sales tax

LEMON GROVE CITY COUNCIL MAY ADD SALES TAX INCREASE INITIATIVE TO THE BALLOT NEXT YEAR

Other priority goals include street repairs, addressing homelessness and climate change, and livestreaming council meetings

By Jessyka Heredia

Watch full video here

June 15, 2023 (Lemon Grove)- At last week’s Lemon Grove City Council meeting, city manager Lydia Romero highlighted the Council’s top priorities for fiscal year 2023/2024 from the priority-setting workshop back in May. Among these priorities are to “engage residents, businesses, and stakeholders on the benefits of passing a sales tax in FY 2024 that will increase revenue to address priority needs,” according to the staff report. Romero said this was voted as the top priority from Council with four votes and three votes from the small handful of residence in attendance at the workshop.

Can the measure succeed after an earlier tax increase ballot initiative narrowly failed to win passage?


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LEMON GROVE INITIATIVE CHALLENGE WON’T BE HEARD IN TIME TO BLOCK BALLOT MEASURE

By Miriam Raftery

December 11, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – A challenge seeking to block the Lemon Grove sales tax initiative on technical grounds won’t be heard until February 21 – too late to keep the measure off the March 3, 2020 ballot.  But if a judge rules the process was invalid, the vote could later be voided and the sales tax hike would not take effect.

The initiative, Measure S, would raise the sales tax by three quarters of a cent, from 7.75 to 8.5 percent. The city is facing serious financial shortfalls, with a budget deficit of nearly $1.2 million projected by the end of its fiscal year 2021-22. More than 85% of the city’s budget is spent on public safety, police and fire protection, leaving not enough money for other needs.


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LEMON GROVE SALES TAX MEASURE QUALIFIES FOR BALLOT

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: George Gastil, former Lemon Grove Councilmember who spearheaded the petition drive

November 8, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – The Registrar of Voters confirms that the Lemon Grove sales tax measure has qualified to appear on the March 2020 ballot. If approved, the initiative would increase the city’s sales tax by three-fourths of a cent to 8.5 percent, the same as neighboring La Mesa.

According to the Registrar, 1,987 signatures have been verified as valid, substantially more than the 1,482 required for the measure dubbed the "Lemon Grove Security Initiative."

Advocates for the measure posted on their “Sweeten Lemon Grove” Facebook page, “Shoutout to all of the volunteers who circulated 233 petitions and to every person who provided their signature in support of the measure.”

The stakes are high for Lemon Grove residents and businesses.


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LEMON GROVE SALES TAX INITATIVE SPURS JUICY DEBATE

Mary England and George Gastil sound off in arguments for and against measure

By Miriam Raftery

September 26, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – Advocates of a ballot measure proposing a three-quarters of a cent sales tax increase argue that the measure will sweeten Lemon Grove, shoring up a structural budget deficit to fund city services wanted by residents, such as parks, road repairs, and improving public safety. 

But former Lemon Grove Councilwoman Mary England, also president of the Chamber of Commerce in neighboring La Mesa, is sour on the idea.

Both England, who opposes the ballot measure dubbed the “Lemon Grove Security Petition,” and former Councilman George Gastil, a leader of the citizens’ group advocating for the petition, agree that the city has had a structural deficit for years, with a budget that’s nearly entirely consumed by rising police and fire protection services.  But they disagree sharply on solutions.


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LEMON GROVE CITIZENS LAUNCH SALES TAX INITIATIVE

By Miriam Raftery
 
August 12, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – For years, Lemon Grove has been struggling financially. Now, a group of residents led by former Councilman George Gastil is gathering signatures on a ballot initiative to raise Lemon Grove’s sales tax by three-quarters of a cent, an action the “Vote Yes for the Lemon Grove Tax” committee estimates would raise approximately $3 million.

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