SHOPPING DRIVE A SUCCESS AUTO DEALERS, STORES BENEFIT.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The city-funded ``shop local'' campaign that urges residents to buy cars along Valencia Auto Row has added nearly $950,000 to Santa Clarita's general fund. The surge in sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. receipts, compared with revenues a year ago, is credited to the local TV and newspaper ad drive that encourages people not to go over the hill and out of the area to buy a new car, truck or sport utility vehicle. ``This is a perfect example of business working in harmony with government,'' said Don Fleming Don Fleming is the name of:
The city spent $60,000 on the media campaign targeting the estimated 40 percent of Santa Clarita residents who purchase cars in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . The City Council is expected to consider funding the plan annually, officials said. The city's budget depends on revenue generated by the state sales tax, and the auto dealers generate 23 percent of Santa Clarita's sales tax receipts, records show. Sales of cars from dealers along Valencia Auto Row to Santa Clarita residents have increased an average of 27 percent since the campaign began in April, while service orders have jumped 18 percent, Fleming Flem·ing , Sir Alexander 1881-1955. British bacteriologist who discovered penicillin in 1928. He shared a 1945 Nobel Prize for this achievement. said. Some residents had encouraged the City Council to support a generic ``shop local'' campaign that they said would benefit all Santa Clarita businesses, not just one industry. Some evidence suggests the increase in local car buyers is spilling over to the shops and restaurants at the nearby Valencia Town Center, Fleming said. ``This should put to rest any concern that this program was a form of corporate welfare,'' said Councilman Cameron Smyth Cameron Smyth is a Republican who has represented Califoria's 38th Assembly district since December of 2006. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term limited. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Assemblyman Smyth served on the Santa Clarita City Council, where he . ``Sales tax revenue is the only way to pay for the city services The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. we all enjoy.'' Next year's budget revenues are expected to be flat, much like this year's, said Administrative Services Director Steve Stark. It is unclear whether some areas of the roughly $120 million budget will have to be reduced because of the slowing economy. Santa Clarita, which is approaching build-out, will be forced to rely more heavily on revenues from sales tax in future years to build needed roads, parks and to buy open space as development-related fees shrink shrink Vox populi noun A psychiatrist , civic and city officials said. ``We need a strong economic base in this town, and this is one way to do it,'' Fleming said. ``The city got a good return on its investment.'' |
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