Local Revenue Measure

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The Local Revenue Measure is a 1.5 percent local sales tax approved by City voters in November 2020, which was previously a .5 percent local sales tax approved by City voters in November 2006 and renewed in 2014. It helps protect and maintain services and public infrastructure identified by the community such as community safety, creek protection, addressing homelessness, keeping public areas safe and clean, retaining local businesses, youth/senior services, streets, open space/natural areas and other vital services and facilities.

Local Revenue Measure Ballot Language (G-20)

To protect City of San Luis Obispo’ s financial stability; maintain fire/community safety, health emergency/disaster preparedness; protect creeks from pollution; address homelessness; keep public areas clean/ safe; retain local businesses; maintain youth/senior services, streets, open space/natural areas, and other general services, by extending voter- approved funding at a 1.5¢ rate, providing approximately $21,600,000 annually until ended by voters; requiring audits/ all funds used locally, be adopted?

Citizen Oversight

The Revenue Enhancement Oversight Commission (REOC) reviews, reports, and makes recommendations directly to the City Council regarding the revenue and expenditures of the City’s general purpose, half-percent sales tax. The REOC consists of five members, who must be residents and registered voters of the City.

Public Engagement

The priorities for the use of the Local Revenue Measure begins with community input as part of developing the City's financial plan. Those priorities are then reviewed by the REOC and then presented to the City Council as part of the final adoption of the financial plan. In addition, the REOC oversees the development of the Local Revenue Measure Annual Report and the Report in Brief, which is distributed to every household in the community. The report details the amount of revenue generated by the measure and how funds were spent.

Due to the timing of the annual audit performed on the Local Revenue Measure, the reports are distributed two years after the fiscal year ends.