Sacramento officials have introduced a measure to create a fund for children and youth services using city local cannabis tax.
The ‘Sacramento Children / Youth Health & Safety Act,’ introduced by Sacramento Kid’s First, a youth advocacy coalition, in conjunction with Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and Sacramento City Councilmembers Mai Vang and Jay Schenirer, would “require the city to invest the equivalent of 40% of revenues generated by the city’s local cannabis tax from our unrestricted general fund into the Children’s Fund,” the proposal states, adding that the measure would not increase local residents’ taxes.
According to Engage Sac, the City Council is expected to vote in July to put the proposal on the November ballot. If approved by voters, it would go into effect July 1, 2023, with roughly $10 to $12 million allocated towards children and youth services annually.
“Just as we use tobacco tax revenue to support tobacco prevention and health services, we are asking the city to use cannabis revenue to fund youth substance abuse prevention, youth mental health and support for homeless and foster youth,” the proposal states.
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