Debt Payments?

With respect the August 20 article “If Santa Barbara Voters Pass Sales Tax, Where Should the Funds Go?” by Ryan P. Cruz, isn’t it quite obvious the funds go to paying down the $7 million debt the city has created? Or will the $7 million debt be covered (i.e. paid off) from another source of funds (aka rainy-day bundle of cash) kept from the taxpayers?

It doesn’t matter what other priorities are on the list until such time as the debt is paid back. Why is it assumed that approving to pay more taxes is a license to spend freely?