Feud Heats Up Over Withheld Sales Taxes
Hoping to avert a nasty showdown and persuade the city of Ventura to pay its fair share of sales tax, County Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford released a report Monday highlighting the benefits the city gets from being the seat of county government.
Hufford may be too late.
County supervisors warned Monday that if Ventura thinks it can withhold its $572,000 in annual sales tax contribution to the county and not suffer any consequences, it’s wrong.
“We are ready to play some hardball here,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathy Long. “It’s unconscionable that the city would have taken this action for a pittance in sales tax.”
The Ventura City Council decided last month to withhold $572,000 from the county. Facing a budget crunch, the city kept the money for its own projects.
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