-
Does the revenue generated by Measure P stay in Victorville?
Yes, unlike the state, county and special district sales taxes, all revenue generated by Measure P will stay in Victorville; not one cent can be taken by the State.
-
How does Measure P affect my business or transactions in the City of Victorville?
If you have questions regarding the applicability of this Measure to your place of business or transactions within the City of Victorville, please contact the CDTFA Customer Service Center at 800-400-7115 (TTY: 711). More information about sales and use tax is available on the CDTFA website.
-
How is Measure P tax paid?
The tax is added during transactions that include sales tax. Sales tax, for the most part, is collected at the point of sale. Measure P is a one-cent sales tax that increased the sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%. With the passage of measure P, tax for a $60 gas purchase increased by 60 cents. Shopping locally means that funds go directly to the City to support public safety. Food groceries, medications, certain medical devices and other "Necessities of Life" are exempt from sales tax.
-
Is there fiscal accountability in Measure P?
Yes, fiscal accountability is required with Measure P, including:
- Measure P continues to give Victorville local control over local funds – no funds could be taken by the State.
- Mandatory financial audits and yearly reports to the community are required.
- Measure P continues to ensure visitors and shoppers from outside of Victorville pay their fair share for local city services.
- Essential purchases like food groceries and medicine are exempt from sales tax, helping to ensure Measure P is not a burden to those on fixed or limited incomes.
- At any time, Measure P can be repealed by the voters.
-
What is Measure P?
Measure P was placed on the ballot to make those of us who live and work in Victorville safer. Measure P is the funding mechanism for the Victorville Public Safety Plan, which was adopted in May 2020. Measure P was placed on the ballot by the City Council to add more police officers, allow us to address Victorville’s dire homeless problem and to add fire fighters and a new fire station here in Victorville. Measure P is a one-cent sales tax that will take the City’s sales tax rate from 7.75% to 8.75% and raise $18 million annually. Measure P will improve Victorville’s police and fire response times to emergency 911. Measure P will also help us address increasing homelessness and associated blight, illegal dumping and sanitation concerns; keep our parks and recreation facilities safe, well-maintained and graffiti free; and expand library services.
-
What items are taxed by Measure P?
Qualifying purchases made in the City of Victorville are subject to the tax. This includes items such as clothing, cars, household goods and alcohol. Pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code, food groceries, prescriptions, certain medical devices, and other “Necessities of Life” are exempt from sales taxes.
-
What other public safety measures are included in Measure P?
Measure P will:
- Allow for quicker responses to 911 emergencies by addressing public safety facilities needs for police, fire and emergency operations
- Replace outdated lifesaving and firefighting equipment
- Address homelessness and keep public areas clean, safe and free of graffiti
- Increase the number of police officers in our community and provide police services, including crime prevention and investigations, and reduction of gang activity and drug related crimes
- Add emergency response centers able to provide resources in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a future health pandemic
- Enable the City to invest in services to reduce homelessness
- Increase Code Enforcement to address blight, illegal dumping and other nuisances
- Expand library services
-
When did Measure P go into effect?
Measure P went into effect on April 1, 2021 and will stay in effect until repealed by voters.
-
Where does Victorville's sales tax go?
Effective April 1, 2021; the sales tax rate in Victorville is 8.75%. The breakdown of the sales tax rate is as follows 3.9375% to State General Fund, 1% to City/County General Fund, .5% to County Public Safety (Prop 172), 1.5625% to County Realignment, .25% to Countywide Transportation Fund, .5% to San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, and 1% to Victorville Public Safety & Essential Services (Measure P).
-
Who decides how the revenue from Measure P is allocated?
Through the budget process, the City Council will decide how the revenue is allocated based on the recommendations of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The Citizens’ Oversight Committee will prioritize and earmark the allocation of funds based on community needs and the City Council will make the final approval.
-
Why a sales tax not a property or parcel tax?
The Council explored all types of revenue generating avenues. While a parcel tax was viewed as a stable mechanism, it was also viewed as regressive (meaning owners of smaller, or lower valued properties pay the same as owners of larger, higher value properties). Property owners also contested that this left them to bear the burden for financing services/programs that provide benefits to the community at large. A sales tax means that both local and visiting consumers will pay a share.
-
Why did the City Council place Measure P on the ballot?
Victorville’s population has skyrocketed over the past 20 years. City spending on public safety has not kept up
with that growth and is insufficient to keep a city our size safe. Measure P will fix that by adding 30 additional
police officers, 9 new fire fighters and opening Fire Station 315 in Victorville.
-
Will there be taxpayer oversight?
The proposed measure will require the creation of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee in addition to annual independent audits. The City Council will establish a Citizens’ Oversight Committee consisting of Victorville residents to oversee the allocation of funds raised by this measure.
The City’s independent auditors would also be required to audit annual expenditures to ensure that they are consistent with the allocation approved by the Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The City Council will establish the terms of the Oversight Committee members and their specific duties.
