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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 11Ch. 4Art. 11§ 120480 Local Sales Tax Authority

§ 120480 Local Sales Tax Authority

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 120480 Local Sales Tax Authority

Key Takeaways

  • •This law lets a local board add a sales tax in their area, but only if voters agree.
  • •If the tax is only for part of the area, it must include whole cities or the whole unincorporated area—no partial cities.
  • •Money from the tax must be spent on transportation stuff like roads or buses in the same area where the tax is collected.
  • •Big construction projects paid for by this tax must use trained workers, unless there’s a special agreement already in place.

Example

A city wants to fix potholes and improve bus routes, so they ask voters to approve a small sales tax.

If voters say yes, the tax starts right after the election. The money can only be used for transportation projects in that city, not for something else like schools or parks.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 120480 Local Sales Tax Authority

(a) A retail transactions and use tax ordinance applicable to the entirety of, or a portion of, the incorporated and unincorporated territory within the area of the board pursuant to Section 120054 shall be imposed by the board in accordance with Section 120485, the Transactions and Use Tax Law (Part 1.6 (commencing with Section 7251) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code), and Section 2 of Article XIII C of the California Constitution. The tax ordinance shall take effect at the close of the polls on the day of election at which the proposition is adopted. The initial collection of the transactions and use tax shall take place in accordance with Section 120483. (b) If, at any time, the voters do not approve the imposition of the transactions and use tax, this chapter remains in full force and effect. The board may, at any time thereafter, submit the same, or a different, measure to the voters in accordance with this chapter. (c) The portion of the area of the board to which the tax would apply shall be determined by the board before the electors vote on the measure. (d) If the tax only applies to a portion of an area of the board, both of the following shall apply: (1) (A) The incorporated area of each city and of contiguous cities within the area of the board shall be either wholly included within that portion or wholly excluded from that portion. For purposes of this subparagraph, “contiguous cities” means two or more cities with shared borders. (B) The entire unincorporated area of the board shall either be wholly included within that portion or wholly excluded from that portion. (2) (A) The board shall not enter into a construction contract over one million dollars ($1,000,000) that would be in part or wholly financed through the tax with any entity unless the entity provides to the board an enforceable commitment that the entity and its subcontractors at every tier will use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all work on the project or a contract that falls within an apprenticeship occupation in the building and construction trades in accordance with Chapter 2.9 (commencing with Section 2600) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code. (B) This paragraph shall not apply if any of the following requirements are met: (i) The board has entered into a project labor agreement that will bind all contractors and subcontractors performing work on the project. (ii) The board has contracted to use a skilled and trained workforce and the entity has agreed to be bound by that project labor agreement. (iii) The project or contract is being performed under the extension or renewal of a project labor agreement that was entered into by the board before January 1, 2019. (iv) The entity has entered into a project labor agreement that will bind the entity and all its subcontractors at every tier performing the project or the entity has contracted to use a skilled and trained workforce. (C) For purposes of this paragraph, “project labor agreement” has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 2500 of the Public Contract Code. (e) The revenues derived from the tax shall be spent within, or for the benefit of, the portion of the area of the board to which the tax applies, and shall be spent only on transportation and transit infrastructure and services. (f) Any revenues derived from the tax shall supplement, and not supplant, other transportation revenues available to the portion of the area of the board to which the tax applies. (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 758, Sec. 2. (AB 1413) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

ordinanceaccordancecontractportconstructionuse tax lawtaxation codecalifornia constitution

Related Statutes

  • § 125480 Local Sales Tax Authority
  • § 910.3 Utility Provider Progress Reports
  • § 910.4 Annual Funding Expenditure Report
  • § 910.8 Low-Income Utility Program Expansion
  • § 913 Utility Program Cost Reporting

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 120480.
View Official Source