San Diego Tests Tax Hikes Amid Budget Crunch | San Diego News

San Diego County is weighing three potential tax hikes to fund critical services like healthcare, child care, and sewage cleanup, but public opinion is split. A poll found 66% opposed a half-cent sales tax without specifics, while 60% backed a luxury real estate tax and 56% supported a payroll tax on high earners—support for the latter two dipped after hearing arguments. Meanwhile, a separate coalition has already gathered signatures to put their own sales tax on the November ballot, arguing the poll doesn’t reflect their proposal. County officials stress the need to explore all revenue options amid federal cuts, having spent $160K on consultants (up to $320K). Some supervisors criticize the spending and say the focus should be on lowering costs, not adding taxes, with policy updates expected soon. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4ddffb175959f3ae