In a time when a lot of people are looking for more affordable options – Chula Vista voters decided they would like to continue paying just a little bit more. NBC 7’s Joe Little breaks down why voters this year overwhelmingly supported extending a half-cent sales tax another decade.
Chula Vista voters appear to approve of a higher sales tax. At least, they appear to appreciate what the city’s half-cent sales tax has done for the South Bay city already.
Earlier this month, nearly three-quarters of Chula Vista voters approved extending Measure P, a half-cent sales tax, for another decade.
Since 2017, when the tax was first introduced, a Chula Vista spokeswoman said Measure P generated roughly $245 million for everything from parks to roads, from emergency equipment to irrigation systems.
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“It's good seeing your tax dollars put to work that way,” said Chula Vista resident Victor Lopez.
Lopez regularly uses the updated Lauderbach Park to train with his younger brother, Carmelo.
“Since they remodeled it, it's been looking really nice, and we actually practice here once a week,” Lopez said. “It feels really good and we come here a lot.”
Covering Chula Vista
“They see that value in their everyday lives,” said Dominic LiMandri, District Manager for the Downtown Chula Vista Association.
He said the city’s historic Third Avenue also benefits from Measure P. He said he anticipated working with the city to use Measure P’s future funds to upgrade Memorial Park.
“I think people are in support of Measure P because they've seen the results and they've seen the deliverance of it,” said LiMandri.
A Chula Vista spokeswoman said Measure P is already responsible for improving 300 streets, 150 storm drains, and dozens of parks. She added the 10-year extension is expected to generate another $37 million per year for the city once it begins in 2027.
