Alhambra Sales Tax Measure Passes

SOPHIA HUA , MOSES LOPEZ Editor in Chief , Staff Writer

For voters in Alhambra, Measure AL, a .75% local sales tax ordinance, was on the March 3 primary ballot. It passed with more than 60% of the votes. 

According to the Alhambra Source, city officials believe that this ordinance will raise up to $8.1 million a year. The tax will be added to the 9.5% sales tax already in California, but the funds from this tax will stay in Alhambra. 

City officials say that the money collected from the measure will be used as funding for sidewalks, alleys, streets, upgrading aging playground equipment, bridge retrofitting and road repairs, since road engineers have rated the streets of

Alhambra as poor or failed. Other priorities include prevention of crime, sanitation of public areas and safety. 

The Alhambra Source reports that the additional revenue gained from the increased sales tax will also enable the Alhambra police department to hire 10 more police officers. Officials say that Measure AL will act as a way to increase public safety since it could give Alhambra the ability to increase neighborhood, school and business patrols and improve response time.

According to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, an increase in sales tax usually leads to an increase in online shopping as customers attempt to avoid the sales tax. This may lead to fears that the measure will harm local businesses. 

 “An increase in taxes is bad for local businesses,” senior Nick Andrian said. 

The measure also includes public disclosure of all spending in order to ensure that the funds gained will be spent responsibly.