MEASURE “V” IS NOT A NEW TAX IT IS A RENEWAL

1.) What is our current tax rate?

The California state sales tax rate is 7.25%. In addition to this rate, local municipalities (County and
City) may approve sales tax increases of up to 2%. The City of Ridgecrest currently has a sales tax
rate of 9.25% which is composed of the state sales tax rate plus Measure V (1%) and Measure P
(1%).
In January 2012, the City of Ridgecrest declared a fiscal emergency as a result of a $3M annual
reduction in the city budget due to CA Legislative Actions. This emergency resulted in Measure L
being presented and passed by voters in June 2012. This measure was a 0.75% sales tax and
included a citizen oversight committee and five-year sunset clause. Due to the fiscal emergency, this
was critical in maintaining public safety and infrastructure maintenance.
Recognizing the importance of local funding, Ridgecrest voters approved Measure V in November
2016 with a 64.18% approval rate, Measure V increased the sales tax rate by 1% and replaced
Measure L. This measure included the same citizen oversight committee and a eight-year sunset
clause which is due to expire in March 2025.
Furthering the goal of protecting and preserving local tax revenues for local projects, Measure P was
passed in November 2022 with a 55.22% approval rate. Measure P increased the sales tax rate by
1%. This measure included the same citizen oversight committee and a nine-year sunset clause
which is due to expire in March 2032.

2.) Who pays sales tax and on what?

Sales tax applies to anyone purchasing goods within the city limits. Every traveler, worker, and
resident shopping in Ridgecrest will be contributing to our local needs. Sales tax is an equitable
solution because it is affects both city residents and county residents equally who call Ridgecrest
home and utilize city services and resources.
The City of Ridgecrest estimates that each resident household spends $2,372 per month in retail
purchases. Non-residents and County residents spend an average of $758,000 per day on taxable
purchases subject to the sales tax rate of the City of Ridgecrest. This would include in-person and
online purchases. Nearly 47% of the sales tax which would be collected will come from outside the
citizens of the City of Ridgecrest.
An item is taxable if it is tangible personal property which includes retail goods of all kinds. Although
most general services are excluded, they may be subject to sales tax if they result in the production of a retail good. Food and prescription drugs are exempt from sales tax.
For a citizen of Ridgecrest, there is NO INCREASE in cost.

3.) What are other regional sales tax rates?

The current sales tax rates for the three largest population centers relative to Ridgecrest are:
Bakersfield – 8.25%, Lancaster – 10.25%, Victorville – 8.75%. The County of Los Angeles applied for
a special legislative exemption to exceed the 2% cap limit.

4.) Are any other sales tax measures on the ballot?

We do not believe any other sales tax measures will be on the November 5th ballot.
Measure AA supported by the Friends of Sierra Sands and placed on the ballot by the school district
will also be in front of voters. This is a property tax initiative which provides the matching funds to
access more than $100M in government funding for two new schools. Ridgecrest PAC 2030 is
supportive of this measure but advocacy efforts are focused on Measure V.
We are aware of another sales tax measure, similar to Measure K which narrowly passed in 2022, is
being considered for the June 2026 ballot. This is a sales tax measure for road repair across Kern
County. The City of Ridgecrest is a municipality and would be subject to this tax unless Measure V is
passed. Measure V and Measure P prevent intrusion from other agencies into local government
funding.

5.) How does Measure V protect local funding?

State law allows for a 2% cap on the sales tax rate for local cities and counties. When the citizens
passed Measure P, they put in place the FULL 2% cap dedicated to local funding and local
resources. This means that ANY sales tax increase passed by Kern County in the future would not be
eligible to be charged in Ridgecrest due to the 2% cap being fully secured to local needs. If Measure
V is renewed then any future sales tax measures which could be applied to the citizens of Ridgecrest
will be unable to under current state law.

6.) What protections are in the measure to protect taxpayers from government mis-appropriation?

The City of Ridgecrest is a conservative rural community. The city recognizes the importance of
citizen involvement and an end date for the measure. This measure includes a Citizen Oversight
Committee which will be appointed by the City Council and provide an annual public reporting. This is the same model which has been utilized to provide taxpayer oversight over Measure V and L for the past 11 years.
Measure V will also have an “until ended by voters” clause which places the future of the measure in
the voter’s hands. If the voters feel that the need for Measure V no longer remains, they may petition
to have it removed at a future election. This will be the third time the Measure has been presented to citizens and it is critical to city resources. The City Council believes shifting it into the taxpayer’s
hands for the future is more effective than re-authorizing it every nine years.