The county's current sales tax rate of 9% is equal to the lowest rate among the five local jurisdictions, with the city of Capitola standing as its only equal.
Among the many actions made at its penultimate meeting of the year, the Santa Cruz City Council approved the placement of a measure on the upcoming March ballot that would increase sales tax in the city by a half percent, much like the recently failed Measure F.
The Santa Cruz City Council paused police plans on Tuesday to seek funding to install more than a dozen automated license plate-reading cameras at major traffic intersections and city gateways.
"You may recall that in 2020 a Wharf Master Plan and its environmental review were circulated for public comment. The plan proved widely unpopular with the public," writes Gillian Greensite in a Guest Commentary. "The many changes proposed for the Wharf included three 40-feet tall buildings for public and private gatherings. The current tallest structures on the Wharf are 24 feet, with many at 12 feet, giving the Wharf a low profile atop its 4,450 pilings."
The face of downtown Santa Cruz could soon dramatically change. The City Of Santa Cruz began developing the Downtown Plan Expansion in June 2021 and is now in the late stages of planning. If