Santa Maria voters overwhelmingly approved Measure U, the city’s quarter-cent sales tax to fund public safety in the June 5 primary. The measure needed 50 percent plus one to pass.
The tax will go into effect Oct. 1, but the city won’t start receiving revenue until Jan. 1, 2013.
The money will go toward construction of Fire Station No. 5, enable the city to hire more police officers and firefighters, and more.
This article appears in Jun 7-14, 2012.