Sales Tax comes from the sale of goods, from restaurants to car dealerships.  Sales tax is .07375% of every taxable sale and first goes to the State of California Board of Equalization.  The state returns to the cities 1% of that revenue to the city where the sale was made.  Cities that have more businesses selling taxable items receive back more money, because the sales were made in their city.  Sales tax goes straight to the General Fund.

Cities use that sales tax money to fund essential services.  such as fire and police, street lights, public maintenance, administratiion, and even the dog catcher.  Less money = less services.

A full 70% of Suisun City's tax base goes to other communities.  Look around your house - the couch, the lamp, the dishes you use, the shoes you buy; most of those things come from other cities and the sales tax benefit those other communities.  Most cities consider it a disaster to lose even 20% of their tax base; we lose 70%!  That car you bought was not bought in Suisun City, we have no car dealerships; the community where you bought it will receive 1% of it's total value.

Suisun City recieves very little sales tax revenue.  In fact, in 2008 from all outlets we received less sales tax than even Rio Vista.

2008
SOLANO COUNTY     $6,032,523.14
Benicia                       $560,466.33
Dixon                         $468,789.34
Fairfield                    $1,450,763.47
Rio Vista                     $100,885.53
Suisun City $91,784.84
Vacaville                   $1,268,801.04
Vallejo                     $1,075,150.48

In 2008 Suisun City had the highest growth of retail sales in Solano County at 3.67%, yet we are still dead last in sales tax in Solano County.  Any new business we can bring to Suisun City will help our tax base.

Cities throughout California are trying to get residents and businesses to shop at home first.  In Suisun City it is the "Shop Suisun First" campaign, sponsored by the Suisun Business Group.