Cloverdale this week took the penultimate step to becoming the first city in Sonoma County to impose a local tax on marijuana-related businesses.
With medical marijuana becoming more regulated and with the likelihood California voters will legalize pot in November, Cloverdale is looking to capture some of the revenue to bolster its anemic budget.
The City Council on Tuesday informally agreed to place a measure on the November ballot asking voters to approve a tax on cannabis operations to benefit the city’s general fund to pay for essential services such as police, streets, parks, libraries, senior and youth programs.
The council is scheduled Aug. 9 to formally place the measure on the ballot.
The city currently prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries and commercial medical marijuana activity, but that’s expected to change if voters give a green light to the cannabis tax.
