On November 21, the City Council voted unanimously to place the City of Chino Public Safety, Roads, Essential Services Measure on the March 5, 2024, ballot so Chino voters can decide whether to approve additional local funding to maintain City services.

If passed by a majority of Chino voters, the measure is estimated to generate approximately $28 million per year to ensure the delivery of essential services to Chino residents and businesses by taking the City’s sales tax from the current rate of 7.75% to 8.75%.

Neighboring cities, including Corona, Ontario, Montclair, Redlands, Riverside, San Bernardino, Claremont, and Pomona, already have an 8.75% sales tax rate or higher to appropriately fund services such as public safety, infrastructure maintenance and community programs.

“Despite our efforts to balance City expenditures with revenues, in recent years the City Council has had to authorize dipping into our reserves to cover steep increases in the cost of services. We have a responsibility to maintain our streets, parks, and public facilities, but the cost of doing so has grown dramatically and will continue to get more expensive over time, putting a strain on the future financial health of the City,” said Mayor Eunice Ulloa. “The City’s revenue growth has increased but has not kept pace with the rising costs associated with the diverse range of essential services provided to and expected by Chino residents and businesses. It is not sustainable to pay for operational expenses from our reserves.”

Mayor Pro Tem Karen Comstock noted, “We decided to place the City of Chino Public Safety, Roads, Essential Services Measure on the March ballot so our residents can decide what is best for our community, as we all want to ensure Chino remains an ideal place to live, work, and play.”

All funds generated from the measure would be under local control and used to benefit Chino residents and businesses. The City has identified approximately $260 million in unfunded infrastructure and neighborhood improvement projects that, over time, will become more expensive to address. New funding could be used for projects and services, such as:

• Public Safety & 911 Emergency Response
• Streets & Sidewalks
• Local Drinking Water & Flood Control
• Parks, Recreation, & Community Beautification
• Homelessness Intervention & Mental Health
• City-Wide Fiber Internet Services
• Senior, Veteran, & Youth Programs

The 1% increase will cost an additional one cent (1¢) per $1.00 spent on taxable goods or ten cents (10¢) for every $10.00 spent. But a sales tax DOES NOT apply to purchases of groceries, medicine, medical and dental services, real estate, rent, utilities, personal service, and labor. In addition, the measure includes accountability provisions, such as public disclosure of all spending and annual financial audits.

The City will continue to engage all community members about the City of Chino Public Safety, Roads, Essential Services Measure, and the impacts on City services if voters approve the measure. Please visit CityofChino.org/ProtectChinoServices or call 909-334-3290 for more information about this measure and the March 5, 2024 election. 

Click here for a Fact Sheet on the City of Chino Public Safety, Roads, Essential Services Measure.

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