The city of Santa Ana faces an overall long-term debt shortfall of $651.2 million. The city possesses approximately $545.4 million in available assets to cover total long-term accumulated bills and obligations worth $1.2 billion. This creates an individual “taxpayer burden” of $5,400 per taxpayer to completely erase the city’s financial hole.
The Santa Ana City Council wants to extend Measure X – which gave us the highest sales tax in Orange County, in order to pay for their self-inflicted financial crisis. However that high sales tax is a huge burden on Santa Ana families:
High Regressive Tax Burden on Low-Income Households
- Disproportionate Financial Strain: Santa Ana has one of the lowest per capita incomes in Orange County. Because lower-income households spend a larger share of their overall earnings on day-to-day retail goods, sales taxes are heavily regressive.
- Increased Daily Living Costs: Residents are forced to pay higher final out-of-pocket prices for non-exempt household items, electronics, clothing, and restaurant meals compared to nearby cities.
Out-of-City Retail Leaks (Cross-Border Shopping)…