Shoppers in three Solano County cities could pay more at the register, or keep paying what they pay now, depending on how voters decide three sales tax measures on the Nov. 3 ballot. Fairfield and Vacaville are each asking for a new one-cent tax, and Rio Vista wants to extend a tax that is set to run out.

Fairfield: Measure P

Fairfield's sales tax is now 8.375%. Measure P would raise it by one cent per dollar to 9.375%, with the money going into the general fund. The city estimates the tax would bring in $24 million a year, and leaders point to a $12 million budget deficit and rising costs of providing services, Bay City News reported. If it passes, the increase would start in 2027 and would have no end date unless voters later repeal it.

Fairfield voters approved a one-cent tax in 2012 and extended it in 2016 through 2033. At a recent forum, Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Pam Bertani said she supports Measure P but worries about its chances after hearing from residents that it is unpopular. The Solano County Taxpayers' Association opposes it, calling the language too broad.

Vacaville: Measure V

Vacaville currently has the lowest sales tax rate in the county at 8.125%. Measure V would add one cent, bringing it to 9.125% starting April 1, 2027, and raising an estimated $28 million a year for general city services, according to the city and the measure's supporters. The measure includes a citizens' oversight committee and annual audits, and it would also last until voters end it. City figures project the revenue growing to about $31.7 million by fiscal year 2030-31.

The city says it keeps only 1.75 cents of the current rate, with the rest going to the county and state. Groceries and prescription medicine stay exempt under state law. The taxpayers' association has called Measure V a discretionary tax presented as an essential services measure, and opponents argue households are already stretched by the cost of living.

Rio Vista: Measure O

Rio Vista's rate is already among the county's higher ones at 9.125%. Measure O would not raise it; it would extend an existing 0.75% tax, first approved in 2020 and due to expire in 2027, through 2030. City leaders cite a 7% drop in general fund revenue since 2024 and say most of the money supports police and fire. The extension could bring in roughly $1.4 million a year, and the city warns of a deficit of about that size if it fails.