By Mayor Jeff Wan, Clayton
Over the past several months, the City Council and staff have worked through one of the most important financial issues facing Clayton: how to maintain the basic services our community depends on in a sustainable way. After many meetings, detailed analysis, and public discussion, the Council voted unanimously to place a one percent (1%) local sales tax measure on the November ballot.
This decision did not come before first taking a hard look at how the City operates. Over the past several years, we have reviewed the City’s fee schedule, updated our investment policy, moved to managed investments to improve returns, restructured staff, combined positions, reduced certain service contracts, and consolidated others where possible. In short, we have looked closely at how to operate more efficiently and how to capture available revenue without asking residents for additional taxes.
The challenge remains straightforward. The cost of providing city services has continued to rise, but the revenue the City receives has not kept pace. That gap is not sustainable over the long term. We either need to raise additional revenue or reduce services. Because our police staffing is already at the minimum level needed to safely serve the community, with only two officers regularly on duty at any given time, further reductions would create public safety risks. That means service reductions would likely fall in areas such as landscape maintenance, park upkeep, road and infrastructure maintenance, and other quality of life services that help define Clayton.
It is also important to understand why this proposed measure would have a more meaningful local impact than the sales tax residents pay today. Under the current sales tax structure, most of the revenue goes to the State and County, while Clayton retains just over 10%. If voters approve this local measure, Clayton would retain 100% of the new revenue. That means the funding would stay here and directly support the City’s ability to provide services to Clayton residents.
The proposed sales tax measure would also bring Clayton more in line with nearby cities. Today, Clayton has one of the lowest sales tax rates in Contra Costa County, and the City has not increased its sales tax since incorporation.
There will be two community town halls to discuss the proposal, answer questions, and hear from residents. They will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, and Wednesday, October 7, at Hoyer Hall in the Clayton Library.
I encourage residents to attend, learn more, ask questions, and take part in this important conversation about Clayton’s future.