Essential Services & Public Safety Protection Measure
Mount Shasta is a special community. Our families, businesses, and visitors count on the security of knowing that when there's a fire, a medical emergency, or a call for help, trained professionals will be there—quickly and effectively.
But without new, stable sources of revenue, that certainty is at risk.
That is why the City of Mount Shasta is researching and considering placing a local revenue measure on an upcoming ballot.
The City has already cut its budget to the bone. There’s no more “fat” to trim. Unless we act, Mount Shasta will face firefighter layoffs, reduced wildfire prevention, slower 911 response times, and cuts to law enforcement and other city services.
A 1.5% local sales tax increase is being considered as a crucial measure to protect public safety, preserve vital city services, and prevent devastating losses.
Why is a 1.5% local sales tax being considered?
The City of Mount Shasta’s revenue has not grown for two reasons:
- First, our sales tax revenue (our largest revenue source) is stagnating in the face of rising costs because tourists and locals are simply spending less.
- Second, the State reduced the portion of sales tax revenue that we receive. If a product was paid for by a Mount Shasta resident online, we used to get our full share of sales tax revenue. Now, if that product is shipped to a Mount Shasta resident from a California city, that California city now gets our sales tax revenue.
You should know that we have joined together with dozens of cities to fight the State and get our sales tax revenues restored.
After years of belt-tightening—reducing overhead, delaying maintenance, and squeezing every efficiency—the next cuts won't be to paperwork. They will include people and programs, such as fewer firefighters on duty, slower 911 response times, and reduced capacity to prevent minor incidents from escalating into large, dangerous fires.
Without new, stable revenue, Mount Shasta faces:
- Layoffs of firefighters and police officers.
- Longer 911 response times—seconds and minutes that can mean the difference in medical and fire outcomes.
- Cuts to wildfire prevention—reduced fuel management and community risk-reduction efforts raise the odds of small fires becoming major incidents.
What the measure would do:
- Prioritize Fire & Public Safety: Prevent cuts and maintain full staffing for firefighters, fund wildfire prevention efforts and protect current emergency response times.
- Support law enforcement & essential services: Keep patrols, investigations, and community safety programs stable—while sustaining basic City services that residents see and use.
- Keep funds local: Every dollar is legally required to stay in Mount Shasta—not the State or county.
Cost and who pays:
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A 1.5% local sales tax equals $1.50 on a $100 purchase and $15.00 on $1,000. Because Mount Shasta hosts visitors, a meaningful share is paid by tourists and non-residents, easing the burden on locals while protecting local services.
Real safeguards you can see:
- An Independent Citizens Oversight Committee: Residents will review spending and issue public reports.
- Annual independent audits: Transparent accounting you can verify.
- All funds are locked to Mount Shasta to address local needs, as required by law. The State cannot take the funds – it all stays in Mount Shasta.