San Bernardino puts a tax on fireworks

San Bernardino will continue to allow the sale of fireworks this summer, but those sales will have a 10 percent tax attached to them.

The city council on June 4 voted 5-2 to allow the sale of so-called safe-and-sane fireworks, rejecting a proposed one-year ban on the popular but potential dangerous devices, according to multiple reports. However, fireworks are already banned in all parts of the city north of the 210 freeway.

Council members Treasure Ortiz and Juan Figueroa cast the dissenting votes.

The council took up the issue after city staff investigated whether fireworks are a threat to local safety and health, and whether they should remain legal within San Bernardino’s borders.

According to staff reports, the additional tax money will go toward enforcement and a fireworks education workshop for citizens planned by the city.

Last year, the department had 231 calls for firework-related incidents and confiscated nearly 18,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, the reports states.