Santa Rosa residents cast ballots this week on Measure L, a proposal that would raise the city's sales tax rate to 10.5% in hopes of staving off deeper cuts to police and fire services. The measure would update an existing half-cent general sales tax to a full cent, generating what the city hopes will be roughly $46 million a year to help plug a lingering budget hole.
City officials say Santa Rosa still faces a $14.4 million structural deficit even after two previous rounds of spending and job cuts, according to The Press Democrat. Fire and police departments make up more than two-thirds of the city's general fund and are expected to bear the brunt of any further reductions, the paper reported. Measure L drew backing from unions representing rank-and-file police and fire personnel, and Scott Westrope described the potential workforce cuts under consideration as draconian, per the same report.
The City Attorney's impartial analysis, filed ahead of the election, pegs Measure L's projected annual revenue at $46 million, including about $23 million more than the existing half-cent tax currently brings in, according to the City of Santa Rosa's impartial analysis. The Press Democrat's October report described the combined, updated tax as generating more than $46 million annually, a figure in the same range but phrased with a wider margin than the city's own estimate.
What Happens Without the Tax Increase
Without new revenue, the Santa Rosa Police Department would need to cut $3.1 million next year and another $7.1 million by 2030, The Press Democrat's report found. Those reductions would first hit specialized units, including gang enforcement, special enforcement, downtown enforcement and traffic enforcement teams, according to the outlet's reporting.
The fire department faces its own set of reductions. It is weighing a short-term cut of $2.3 million that could force a station closure, with another $5.8 million in cuts looming by 2030 that could shutter a second station and eliminate a truck company, per the same account. Department officials said passage of Measure L would prevent those cuts and preserve current staffing levels, the newspaper reported.
The city notes it has already made cuts to fire, police and 911 response services to address prior shortfalls, according to the City of Santa Rosa. City materials state that Measure L would prevent additional cuts and maintain services residents prioritize, including fire protection, 911 response, police response to violent crimes, and street repairs — though that framing reflects the city's own position on the measure's effects.
How the Tax Would Work
Measure L would replace Measure Q, the city's existing half-cent sales tax set to expire March 31, 2031, with a one-cent tax that would continue indefinitely unless voters later chose to end it, according to the impartial analysis. As a general tax, Measure L required approval by a simple majority of voters casting ballots on the measure, the analysis states. If approved, Santa Rosa's total sales tax rate would rise from 10% to 10.5%, matching Sebastopol for the highest rate in Sonoma County, per the newspaper's reporting.
City officials say the resulting revenue can be used for any lawful governmental purpose, though all funds must be spent within Santa Rosa, according to the impartial analysis. The measure also requires the city's independent auditors to prepare an annual, publicly available report detailing how the tax revenue is collected, managed and spent, the analysis notes. The impartial analysis, filed in August, also noted uncertainty tied to state legislation: as of that filing, the Governor had not yet acted on Senate Bill 762, and the full tax increase might not take effect if that bill were vetoed.
Voters Weigh Trust Against Rising Costs
Santa Rosa voter Donna Johnsen said she cast her ballot in favor of Measure L despite reservations, telling The Press Democrat that living in Santa Rosa is expensive and that she does not always support tax increases because they can become untenable over time. Still, she said the difference in city services is noticeable and that public safety cannot be compromised, per the outlet's report.
Johnsen also raised concerns that Measure L's funds are not specifically appropriated to both public safety departments, framing the vote as a question of trust, according to the same report. She said voters ultimately have to decide whether to trust the city with the additional tax revenue, the paper reported.
A Countywide Pattern
Santa Rosa was not alone on the ballot this week — Rohnert Park and Windsor also sought sales tax increases in the same election, according to the newspaper's reporting. The local measures came amid concerns about stagnant revenues and rising costs.
The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters posted initial results after 8 p.m. Tuesday, with Santa Rosa carrying 110,208 registered voters into the election, per the newspaper's reporting. The evidence reviewed for this report does not independently confirm the specific early vote count or margin, nor does it establish final certified results for Measure L.
