Last night the Redding City Council was set to take up a countywide tax measure that would be used for Public Safety. However, a vote earlier in the day by the Shasta County Board of Supervisors put limits on how revenues could be spent.
It was a long way from passing, but essentially the countywide sales tax measure would have gone to the voters asking for money for Public Safety in the county and in all three incorporated cities. Mayor Kristen Schreder said she was at the Supervisors meeting, and that in the early discussion input from cities was asked for, but later that seemed to have changed.
"It wasn't actually an official vote,” she said. “They just agreed by consensus to give direction to Mr. Lees. Two things – one, that the money was only to be spent on expansion of or support of jail beds and of the Sheriff’s Offices.”
Schreder said she confirmed that with County Executive Officer Larry Lees during a break and made it clear to him that she was not happy with that outcome. If the measure goes further with the Board of Supervisors and does eventually make it to the ballot, money will apparently not benefit Redding, Anderson or Shasta Lake.
Also during the city council meeting the late Fire Chief Gerry Gray was honored with a moment of silence.