Measure I Ballots Are Ready To Mail

Measure I is the city of Sonora´s 1/2 cent per dollar sales tax increase proposal. Only registered voters who live within the city boundaries will see the special mail-in ballot come to their mailbox in the next few days.

Voters, by marking yes on the ballot, will authorize the City of Sonora to impose an additional .50 percent (one-half of one percent) tax on retail sales within the City. The current sales tax rate is 7.25 percent.

City officials say the additional revenue, estimated at more than a million dollars annually, will only go to fund city police, fire and public works department staffing and equipment needs.

The Tuolumne County Elections office is sending out about 2,000 official envelopes — containing the single item ballot, plus a copy of the sample ballot and a return envelope.

There will not be any walk-in polling places for this election except for the county clerks office on North Washington Street. The elections office expects results to be tabulated soon after the August 31, 2004 ballot return deadline.