Tuolumne County Chamber Seeks Opinion From Business Leaders On Tax Increase

Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce is seeking input from the business community on a proposed county wide sales tax increase.

The Board of Directors would like to get the thoughts of local business leaders on the issue of increasing the county sales tax by as much as a half cent to fund fire and law enforcement.

At the present time, the tax would include the city of Sonora where the sales tax is one quarter cent higher than the rest of the county. The chamber says city and county officials are attempting to come up with a solution to avoid the double taxation.

Earlier this year, fire officials announced a budget deficit of more than $700,000 which they say would severely compromise the level of fire protection in the county.

The County Sheriff´s Department has also stated the existence of budget problems within the agency.

The Chamber survey presents five different scenarios to be ranked by preference.

The chamber board will analyze the results before taking an official position.

Contact Eric Nelson at Eric Nelson