South Lake Tahoe Voters Approve Sales Tax Increase

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) — The sales tax is going up in South Lake Tahoe.

The city says voters approved a one-cent sales tax that will help pay for basic services such as fire, wildfire and public health emergency preparedness, road safety, removing snow, and programs to help small businesses during the pandemic.

The sales tax rate in South Lake Tahoe will now jump to 8.75%.

Voters in Rancho Cordova also approved a half-cent sales tax increase. The new sales tax will also be 8.75%, the same as Sacramento city's tax, but a full percentage point higher than Sacramento County's sales tax.

Rancho Cordova city leaders say they've lost an estimated $5 million in revenue since coronavirus surfaced. Though the city has already reduced spending by $3 million through salary freezes and putting projects on hold, they say a new half-cent sales tax increase would allow them to continue spending money on things like improving roads, public safety, and homeless outreach.