By Tim FangOfficials in Santa Cruz County have declared a state of fiscal distress and are placing a sales tax measure on the November ballot, citing cuts to federal and state funding. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the declaration and the ballot measure, a one-cent transaction and use tax that would be in effect for five years. “Communities across the country are facing the consequences of significant changes in federal funding,” said Supervisor Monica Martinez, who chairs the board. “Today’s action gives the people of Santa Cruz County the opportunity to decide whether they want to be part of a local response that lifts up and protects their fellow County residents.” If approved by voters, the measure would raise about $27 million a year over the same period.