La Mesa's City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to have staff look into raising the city's retail cannabis tax from 4 percent to 5 percent, according to East County Magazine. The discussion focused on a possible ordinance, and officials did not set an effective date for any increase.

Councilmember Lauren Cazares, who brought the motion with Mayor Mark Arapostathis, said sales tax revenue has not met expectations while the cost of city services continues to rise. East County Magazine reported that Cazares said the one-point increase could generate about $750,000 annually for the city.

The revenue goes into La Mesa's general fund, which supports public safety, emergency services, infrastructure, parks and other city operations. The source article also noted that California's state cannabis excise tax rose from 15 percent to 19 percent in July 2025.

For Santee readers, the debate is another East County example of cities looking for targeted revenue sources as service costs climb. Nearby budget decisions are worth watching because local tax choices can shape public safety, infrastructure and park funding across the region.

Source: East County Magazine, "La Mesa moving toward increasing cannabis sales tax from 4% to 5%."