Faced with a healthcare funding crisis due to cuts in federal spending, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has placed a sales tax increase measure on the June ballot.
The measure, which requires a simple majority to pass, would add 0.625% to the Orinda’s sales tax, pushing it to 10.375%. If the initiative passes, Orinda and five other cities – including Moraga – would have the second-highest sales tax rate in the county, trailing only El Cerrito and Pinole.
The supervisors made the move in response to HR1 – or the “Big Beautiful Bill” – which will cause 93,000 Contra Costa residents to lose their Medi-Cal coverage and 17,600 to lose their food-assistance benefits. The sales tax would offset the loss of some $318 million in federal funding, and allow the county to continue supplying healthcare services to residents who wouldn’t otherwise have them…