Inland Empire Voters Split on Tax Hikes

Hemet voters have apparently decided that their city’s police and fire departments could use some extra money.

Measure U, which will increase the Hemet’s sales tax by one percent, was leading comfortably today, 59-41 percent, with some ballots still to be counted, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Similar measures intended to raise funding for public safety or improvements in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Menifee and Yucca Valley appeared headed for passage.

A measure is Colton was trailing by 13 percent, and propositions in San Jacinto and Temecula were too close to call.

In June, Hemet voters narrowly rejected Measure E, a special tax that, like Measure U, proposed raising the city’s sales tax by one percent.

The difference between the two is that Measure E was a special tax that required a two-thirds vote to be approved. Measure U is a general tax, which requires only a simple majority.

Hemet officials have pledged to spend all of the revenue generated by Measure U for extra police and fire protection.

Measure U’s approval brought relief to both departments, Fire Chief Scott Brown said.

“We’re both stretched to the limit,” Brown said. “We can’t provide any more services with just the resources we have now.”