The county's main taxpayers association has - not surprisingly - come out in opposition to the city's proposed sales tax increase.
The Sacramento Taxpayers Association announced its opposition today to a November ballot measure seeking to raise the city sales tax rate by half of a percentage point. The group charged that the city "has the funds it needs, it just needs to use them more expeditiously."
While the taxpayer group suggested the tax was needed to pay for raises and pension benefits given to city employees in past years, city officials argue the increase will provide a jolt to core services that have been severely cut back over the past several years. The tax proposal is also being floated in the same year the city wrestled increased pension contributions from nearly all of its unions.
The Taxpayers Association's opposition joins that of some members of the local watchdog group, Eye on Sacramento. Mayor Kevin Johnson has also expressed opposition to the plan.
So far, there isn't a funded opposition campaign to the plan.
There is, however, a committee to raise money to support the proposal. The committee - Yes on U - Restore City Services - is being spearheaded by Councilman Kevin McCarty, who is listed as the group's principal officer on campaign documents.
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