REDDING, Calif. -- A citizen-led initiative proposing a one percent sales tax in Redding is making significant progress, with signature gathering ahead of schedule, according to a committee member. Volunteers have been stationed at the entrance of the Redding Rodeo, encouraging residents to sign the petition to secure a spot for the measure on the November ballot.

Joshua Johnson, a committee member, emphasized that the majority of the tax burden would fall on visitors. "Sixty percent of our sales tax in Redding comes from out of towners," Johnson said. "So a lot of this is going to come from out-of-towners, it will impact Redding residents just modestly by about $5-7 per household."

The proposed tax would be distributed as follows: 12 percent to the Redding Police Department for staffing and equipment, 12 percent to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office for jail capacity and Sheriff Michael Johnson's alternative custody program, 13 percent to the Redding Fire Department for construction and staffing of fire stations, and 30 percent to roads and transportation facilities.

Additionally, five percent would be allocated to the Redding Regional Airport for building and staffing an additional terminal and general operations. Nine percent would go towards the construction, improvement, and maintenance of city parks, and another nine percent for the Northern Riverfront public facilities, including the rodeo grounds and civic auditorium. The remaining 10 percent would be discretionary, allocated by the city council.

Johnson noted the ease of gathering support for the initiative. "For the size city we are and the amount of public safety we want to maintain, the parks and the services that we want to have inside the city, we know that we needed to do something. So that is why we, as citizens, put this forward, and we are getting widespread support... It has really become one of those city-wide initiatives that I think is going to benefit everybody."

The initiative requires 5,600 verified signatures to qualify, with a goal to collect them within the next month to month and a half to ensure its place on the November ballot. More information can be found at better-redding.com.