Upland voters can vote on a 1 cent sales tax increase in November.

At a special meeting on Friday, August 9, the Upland City Council put the tax to a vote by a vote of 4 to 1.

If passed, the 1-cent sales tax would generate about $20 million in annual revenue for general city services, city documents say.

Alternatively, the council voted 4-1 to remove from the ballot the previously approved general tax measure, which would have increased the business tax.

Council member Carlos Garcia voted against including the tax on the ballot.

“Right now, given the economic uncertainty, I think it’s the wrong time to do this,” Garcia said during the meeting. “We’ve talked about transparency before, but I think in the year and a half that has passed, it’s too early to get to this point.”

Upland voters opposed a similar 1% sales tax increase two years ago, voting 55% against Measure L.

Reactions from speakers at the lunch session were mixed.

“The Upland Chamber of Commerce supports the City and the City of Upland’s infrastructure measures for public safety and city services on the November ballot,” said Amy Valdivia, Upland Chamber of Commerce Board Chair, during the public hearing. “As advocates for the local business community, we recognize the critical importance of maintaining and improving the infrastructure and public safety that are the backbone of our community.”

Valdivia urged the council to continue with the previously approved measure to improve infrastructure, public safety and municipal services instead of increasing the sales tax.

The Upland Police Officer Association supported the measure.

“Public safety is at the heart of this action. The Upland Police Department is committed to protecting our community, but we face significant challenges. Our equipment is outdated – replacing our handheld radios alone will cost $1.3 million,” UPOA President Gabe Garcia said in a statement. “We also have fewer police officers per capita compared to other cities, which places a tremendous strain on our force. This dramatically impacts the community’s access to police when they need them most.”

Council member Shannan Maust spoke in favor of the tax measure.

“The police force is fully staffed now, but what do you think will happen if Ontario passes a sales tax measure and hires 300 police officers within five years,” Maust said during the meeting. “Do you think that even though they are loyal to us today, they won’t go there for $20,000 more a year?”

Upland Mayor Bill Velto also spoke out in favor of the measure, saying, “I want our tax dollars to come back to our city.”

“We are doing what is necessary to get our city under control. It is not just the asphalting that changes the road, the infrastructure underneath also needs to be replaced,” Velto said.