About the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association
The SBCTA was founded in 1956 by several of the largest oil companies in Santa Barbara County. As the largest payers of property tax in the county, these companies had a strong and legitimate interest in how local tax revenues were spent. They came together with likeminded people from the community to form a local watchdog organization to ensure those taxes were being spent responsibly, and effectively.
Today, the SBCTA is a non-partisan, countywide civic advocacy group dedicated to representing all Santa Barbara County taxpayers. We strive to make sure county government is managing and delivering essential services - such as law enforcement, public safety, road maintenance, and public health - in a cost-effective manner that does not waste taxpayer money. We also weigh in on local and state tax measures and strive to make sure any proposed tax increase is properly scrutinized. If the new tax, or tax increase doesn't make sense, SBCTA will oppose it vigorously; if it makes sense to either raise an already existing tax, or to create a new tax - for a specific purpose - SBCTA will consider supporting the tax.
We believe taxpayers in Santa Barbara County are over-taxed, not under-taxed. And so we strive to hold the line on all taxes; sales taxes; property taxes; and transient occupancy taxes. SBCTA has been promoting lower taxes since 1956, and that remains one of our top priorities.
