Using VLOOKUP and TRIM

Someone helped me yesterday with VLOOKUP.  I am not doing it right (of course).  This is what I am trying to do:

I want to type in on sheet "January 2023" cell B3 a specific city name and have cell C3 produce the corresponding tax rate from a table I have listed on the sheet named "Rates".

I have tried to duplicate the formula that the super nice person helped me with yesterday but I am not doing it right.  Here is what they suggested I do:

"Then, in your table you just apply this formula in the Tax Rate column: =VLOOKUP(B2, Sheet5!$A$1:$B$36, 2, FALSE). It will looks like this:

You just have to take the following precautions:

1. When you add a new city to the list, make sure to expand the range of the table used in VLOOKUP formula;

2. The city name (the look up value) have to be on the left side of the table where you store the tax rates;

3. Keep the last argument as FALSE."

I tried these formulas:

=VLOOKUP(B4,Rates!A:B,2,FALSE)

=VLOOKUP(B4,Rates!A1:B1147,2,FALSE)

=VLOOKUP(B4,Rates!$A$1:$B$1147,2,FALSE)

None of them work for me.

Secondly, I copied the cities and tax rates from a table online.  For whatever reason, there is a stupid space before the first letter of the city so it's " Cleveland, OH" or "Columbus, OH " or " Cincinnati, OH  ".  I tried using the =TRIM function but it asks for text.

=TRIM(A) makes A1 say "0"

=TRIM(A:A) asks for text I don't understand why

=TRIM(A1:A1147) gives me an error message asking me to undo a previous formula

If anyone could please help I have to have this thing turned in TODAY.  I apologize if I sound frustrated.