SDCTA opposes Proposition D, City of San Diego 1/2 Cent Sales Tax, 2010

The City of San Diego Sales Tax Increase measure purports to be a "reform before revenue" measure. In reality, it is a sales tax increase that follows the achievement of 10 measures which do not guarantee significant savings to the taxpayers. Some of the "reform" measures create an adverse incentive to achieve minimal savings and others are already in process or have been completed. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association proposed an alternative measure to the City Council that called for $103 million in savings to occur from substantial, comprehensive reform resulting from pension and retiree healthcare reform and managed competition/outsourcing before the $103 million sales tax was triggered: a dollar for dollar match in revenue for savings achieved through structural reform (not cuts to service). If the Council was truly committed to achieving significant, measureable reform they would've given the Association's proposal serious consideration. Instead, the Association was rebuffed.

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