"The Medicaid cuts in President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will squeeze Santa Clara County health care funding. But raising local taxes is not the solution. Instead, county supervisors should stem their rapidly escalating spending, which has doubled in the past eight years and ranks highest per capita by far of the 10 largest California counties. And voters should reject Measure A, the five-year sales tax increase on the Nov. 4 special election ballot that has been in the planning stages since long before Trump won reelection."
"The measure would add another five-eighths of a cent to each dollar of taxable goods, pushing the total rate to 10% or more in most of the county. State data indicates that the average person in the county currently pays at least $1,700 a year in sales tax, which is distributed between state and local governments. Measure A would increase that by at least $113 annually."
Medicaid funding reductions will reduce Santa Clara County health care revenue, but raising local taxes is not recommended. County spending doubled from $6.4 billion in 2017-18 to $13 billion in 2025-26, driven mainly by health care costs including public health, mental health and the county hospital network. Santa Clara rescued and purchased struggling hospitals and now provides care for 40% of residents and 80% of trauma cases. Measure A would add five-eighths of a cent per dollar, likely raising the countywide sales tax to about 10% and increasing the average resident's annual sales tax burden by at least $113.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]