BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Shafter City Council is set to hold a public workshop Tuesday afternoon to discuss a potential local sales tax measure for the November 2026 ballot, according to the agenda.
The workshop is designed to be a conceptual discussion and will show a presentation outlining a potential local sales tax and other revenue-generating options to maintain service levels in Shafter, according to the agenda.
This comes at a time when traditional revenue sources are under more and more strain, the agenda said.
City of Shafter to prepare for potential sales tax measure on 2026 ballot
City staff said it will use feedback gathered during the workshop for future agenda items.
Those items could include requests to award professional services agreements to develop a “proactive and transparent” public engagement process as a first step before considering a revenue measure, according to the agenda.
The current sales tax rate in Shafter is 7.25%, which is the lowest rate among all Kern County cities. The sales tax rate in most cities in the county is 8.25%, with Ridgecrest having the highest rate at 9.25%.
The workshop is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at 336 Pacific Ave., the agenda said.
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