A new Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report credits a financially troubled city with showing some signs of improvement, but says it isn’t out of the woods yet.
Finances have been tough for years for the City of Guadalupe. The community has been a city since 1946. But, it has a limited tax base, with annual public revenue at around $550 per person, compared to more than $2000 per person countywide.
In fact, a past Grand Jury recommended that the city dissolve itself, and get contract services through the county.
The new report says some tax measures passed in 2014 have helped improve the city’s financial position. Some new home construction has also added to the city’s property tax base. The Grand Jury cautions that while the city’s financial outlook has been improved, the balance is still negative, and more action is needed.
The city has hired a consultant to try to develop new efforts to improve Guadalupe’s financial position.
