Atascadero will join the rest of SLO County’s cities in raising its sales tax to 8 percent after approving a measure to add an extra half-percent to generate funds for road repairs. In two separate measures, voters approved a half-percent sales tax increase and an advisory body that will oversee the funds.

Atascadero had been the only city where the sales tax sat at 7.5 percent, after every other city adopted a .5 percent tax to go into some sort of supplementary fund. City officials will be happy to have a little extra cash to spend on road repairs—the city has the most mileage of city-maintained road of any municipality, and doesn’t have a whole lot to spend for repair. The extra tax is estimated to bring in about $1.7 million to $2 million per year.

-- Melody DeMeritt - former city council member, Morro Bay