Leaders of the city of La Quinta – who have failed at one of the most important things they were voted in and hired to do – will ask voters to approve a sales tax increase this November.
The city, who The Desert Sun reports would see a $50 million budget deficit in 10 years if it can not find a way to balance its budget (La Quinta’s budget for 2016-2017 is already $700,000 in the hole), is seeking to raise the sales tax from 8 percent to 9 percent with a measure on the November ballot.
The measure, which would have no ending date (so yeah, expect to pay more forever), would bring an estimated $6 million more to the city from hard working residents and snowbirds who spend money in La Quinta every year.
“Residents and snowbirds are proud of the (La Quinta) brand but this brand does not come cheap,” said Kay Wolff whose late husband, Fred Wolff, was the city’s first mayor. “Let the voters of the city decide for themselves if they want to maintain the brand.”
So to keep the “brand” of La Quinta – whatever the hell that is – residents will now pay 1% more for everything they buy in the city including hundreds of dollars more to purchase a car.
“We tried to find a viable alternative to recommending a sales tax (increase) but we did not find it. It just wasn’t there,” Bob Leidner, a local businessman and chairman of the former citizens committee, told the City Council.
I suppose self control and spending less was just not an option for the city.
The city would join Palm Springs, Coachella and Cathedral City as having a 9 percent sales tax if the measure passes.
