Woodland voters to decide on proposed 1-cent sales tax in 2026

Woodland voters will decide Nov. 3, 2026, whether to approve a proposed 1-cent local sales-tax increase that city staff estimate would generate about $16 million a year for general city services.

The Woodland City Council voted June 16 to place the proposal, Measure Y, on the ballot. The measure is not yet in effect and will take effect only if Woodland voters approve it. The city says the proposed start date would be April 1, 2027.

For residents, the ballot decision will determine whether the city gains a new locally generated revenue source as it manages a reported general-fund deficit and a road-repair backlog. The Sacramento Bee reported that Woodland faces an approximately $3.5 million general-fund deficit.

What Measure Y would do

Measure Y would add one cent to Woodland’s local sales tax if approved. The city projects that the increase would produce approximately $16 million annually.

Because it is proposed as a general tax, the revenue would not be legally dedicated to a single program based on the information provided by the city. Annual allocations would be made through the city’s budget process.

The city has identified roadway repairs, recruitment and retention of public-safety staff, and maintenance of parks, trails and public spaces as potential uses for the money. Those are possible spending priorities, not guaranteed allocations under the proposal.

The projected revenue is substantial in relation to Woodland’s annual General Fund budget, which is just over $75 million. The city has 313 full-time employees, according to the approved measure information.

Budget and service context

The measure arrives as city officials confront pressure on the General Fund, the portion of the budget that supports a broad range of municipal operations and services. The reported $3.5 million deficit and road-repair backlog provide the immediate context for the ballot proposal.

City officials have presented Measure Y as a way to support services and capital needs across the community rather than as funding limited to one department. That distinction matters for voters weighing the measure: the city has listed intended areas of need, but future spending decisions would remain part of the regular public budget process.

Road work, public-safety staffing and upkeep of parks and public spaces are among the services residents could see addressed if the measure passes and the City Council subsequently directs revenue to those purposes. The city’s annual budget decisions would determine the amounts assigned to each area.

What happens next

Measure Y now goes before Woodland voters in the Nov. 3, 2026 election. Until then, it remains a proposal approved for the ballot, not an enacted tax increase.

If voters approve the measure, the city says the additional one-cent local sales tax would begin April 1, 2027. The city also says revenue from the measure would be subject to annual public reporting to the City Council.

That reporting requirement would give residents a recurring public record of revenue associated with the measure. Decisions about how to use the funds would still be made through the city’s annual budgeting process.