Sonora Chamber Strongly Endorses Sales Tax Hike

Sonora Chamber of Commerce members voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to endorse a quarter-cent sales tax increase to pay for police services.

After more than an hour of discussion on the tax and the police department, members voted 22 to 3 in favor.

Wynn LaTorre of Nanna´s Cafe even increased his membership level in the chamber so he could vote.

“It´s that important to me,” he said.

Chamber president Bill Murphy was strongly in favor of the tax increase, and pleased by the outcome.

Sonora City Administrator Greg Applegate says the next step is getting special legislation through Sacramento to allow the proposal to come before Sonora voters.

If approved, the tax would raise about a half-million dollars a year, and be used to hire four new officers for the department and raise salaries to competitive levels.