Ticket fee at A’s games? Sales tax hike? Yolo supervisors hope to raise revenue
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- Yolo supervisors reviewed multiple tax options to plug a projected five-year budget gap.
- The county dipped into reserves this year to cover a nearly $40 million deficit.
- Board of Supervisors may pursue countywide or targeted sales taxes, fees, or districts.
Yolo County voters may see higher taxes as elected officials contemplate revenue raising measures to prevent a budget deficit in the upcoming years.
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors heard Tuesday a series of measures intended to inflate county coffers as estimates show expenditures rise faster than revenue for five years, starting from 2026. Elected officials heard a presentation on cost-raising strategies that could be employed but did not decide on a preferred financial mechanism.
The sobering analysis is not new. For this fiscal year’s budget, the county dipped into its reserves for the first time in 10 years to offset a nearly a $40 million deficit. Elected officials approved a $758.2 million budget by declining to fill 57 open jobs and cutting five contracts.
Yolo County receives the second-lowest share of property taxes across all California counties, Yolo County’s Chief Fiscal Officer Tom Haynes said. For every $1 dollar of property tax, the county receives about 8 cents, he said.
Voters could face a decision to approve levying a 1% sales tax on unincorporated areas of Yolo County or a countywide 1% sales tax. A duty on communities outside cities — such as Clarksburg, Esparto and Dunnigan — would annually raise about $6 million, Haynes said.
A countywide sales tax is placed on four cities and unincorporated regions. However, Davis and West Sacramento are already subject to the maximum 2% duty a jurisdiction may impose. In order to raise the tax on those cities, the Legislature must approve an increase in the tax rate.
Money streams from a countywide sales tax far outweigh funds raised by imposing extra costs on unincorporated areas. Hayes estimated county coffers would see an extra $40 million to $50 million if all Yolo County residents pay a tax.
Voters could also consider forming a community facilities district. A community facilities district is a financing mechanism to generate money for public facilities and services, Haynes said. An example includes Measure T, passed by Davis voters in 2024. The money helps to expand the Mary L. Stephens Davis Library and another library in south Davis.
A select number of property owners would only pay a community facility district fee, and it must pass at the ballot box by a two-thirds vote.
The other taxing measures mentioned in the meeting includes a transient occupancy tax (an extra fee for staying at lodging facilities), a utility user tax (an extra fee on gas, electric, cable or telephone bills), a business license tax, entertainment or ticket tax (an extra fee at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento), an increased cannabis tax rate and a gravel fee tax.
Haynes also presented the options of imposing fees on county-owned parking lots and negotiating a tax sharing agreement between Yolo County and another city. The Board of Supervisors could also work with state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a West Sacramento Democrat, to renegotiate how taxes are divided between local officials and the state.
Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, who represents Winters and parts of Davis, said elected officials must educate residents on the need for higher taxes to generate revenue for the county. Tuesday’s conversation marked a start to discussing solutions, he said.
“There’s no one easy fix,” he said.
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
