The Rancho Cordova council voted yesterday to place a sales tax measure before residents on the November ballot. The tax, if approved by voters, would raise the city’s tax by half a cent. The revenue would be put towards community priorities such as “well-maintained streets, quality parks, and neighborhood safety are vitally important to enhancing our community’s character and property values,” said City Manager Brian Nakamura.
Nakamura went on to explain that the tax raise would allow the city to keep its budget balanced for the 12th year in a row, while still allowing the city to address certain priorities quicker and more efficiently.
City officials say that improving public safety is the main goal of the tax increase. The funds will go toward expanding the city police service through additional neighborhood patrols, crime prevention programs, and programs created to identify and reduce gang activity.
The city has outlined a list of problems identified by the Rancho Cordova community and city officials. Chief among them are, “increasing neighborhood police services, expanding anti-gang and youth violence prevention programs, removing blight/revitalizing vacant buildings along Folsom Boulevard, repairing city streets and sidewalks faster, and expanding after-school programs for children and teens
More information can be found at the city’s website here.