Voters in the city of Clovis overwhelmingly opposed a 1 percent sales tax increase on the March 3 ballot, sending Measure A to defeat by a 2-1 margin.
The Fresno Bee reported that "the national economic downturn and California's recent tax hikes, including another one-cent sales-tax increase, created challenges for the measure."
Challenges, indeed. The newspaper said resident Elaine Yama voted against Measure A after initially supporting the proposal in a very public way. "I had a sign of support outside my house," she said. "But after the state budget was passed, it was just too much (in taxes)."
The tally announced late March 3 is the preliminary count, and may change as remaining votes are counted – but not enough to alter the outcome of the election.
Clovis, the hometown of one of the architects of the state budget package – Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines – was the only local government with a sales tax measure on the ballot last week.
In other news from the March 3 elections:
All UUT Measures Approved. According to the preliminary results, voters approved all four proposals to expand the utility users' tax base (all in Los Angeles County). Three of the measures had ballot descriptions that discussed "modernizing" and "updating" the tax while maintaining the existing rate, without mentioning that the proposals would expand the tax to cell phones and other devices. One proposal – Measure C in Carson – mentioned the tax rate, after first listing several city services that would receive funding. While still garnering enough votes to pass, that measure's "yes" votes trailed the other three significantly.
Business Tax Hike Soundly Rejected in Beverly Hills. Voters in Beverly Hills left little question where they stood on Measure P, a proposal to increase business taxes by converting the per-barrel flat tax on oil companies and the per-employee flat tax on certain other businesses to taxes based on gross receipts or gross payroll. The proposal, Measure P, was rejected by a 4-1 margin. The Los Angeles Business Journal reported March 4: "The measure had generated so much opposition from local businesses that some of the City Council members who voted to place it on the ballot last fall ended up opposing it."
Voters Approve Two of Three Parcel Taxes. Voters approved two-thirds of the parcel taxes on the ballot to raise funds for local school spending. Measures were approved in Marin and Contra Costa counties, while a proposal for a much smaller – and temporary – tax fell short of the two-thirds vote requirement in Sonoma County.
Hotel Tax Increase Approved in La Mirada. Voters in La Mirada (Los Angeles County) supported a tax hike on visitors as they approved Measure A, which will increase the city's hotel tax from 7 percent to 9 percent effective next year, followed by another 1 percent increase in 2013.
State's Top Election Official Didn't Receive Her Vote-by-Mail Ballot. Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California's top elections official, reported via a Twitter message: "Never got my vote-by-mail ballot for L.A. election, so I will be casting a provisional ballot." Capitol Weekly newspaper, which reported the item in its March 5 issue, asks: "How do you neglect to send the head of state elections a ballot?"
Here are the preliminary results of all the local tax elections held March 3:
|
TAX |
COUNTY |
JURISDICTION |
BALLOT
NUMBER |
PROPOSAL |
Results |
%
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Business License Tax |
Los Angeles |
City of Beverly Hills |
Measure P |
Convert the per-barrel tax on oil
companies and per-employee tax on certain other businesses to taxes based on
gross receipts or gross payroll. |
Fail |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hotel |
Los Angeles |
City of La Mirada |
Measure A |
Increase the hotel tax from 7% to 9% effective Jan.
1, 2010, and raise the rate to 10% on Jan. 1, 2013. |
Pass |
63.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Parcel |
Contra Costa |
Orinda Union School District |
Measure B |
Tax of $124 per parcel to retain teachers
and fund various programs. Would be in addition to existing $385 parcel tax.
Needs 2/3 vote. |
Pass |
70.5 |
|
Parcel |
Marin |
Bolinas-Stinson Union School District |
Measure A |
Tax of $250 per parcel for five years.
Needs 2/3 vote. |
Pass |
73 |
|
Parcel |
Sonoma |
Gravenstein Union School District |
Measure A |
Tax of $36 per parcel for eight years. Needs
2/3 vote. |
Fail |
61 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redevelopment Project |
San Joaquin |
City of Lodi |
Measure W |
Establish a redevelopment plan for the
Lodi Community Improvement Project, which would receive tax increment revenue
that currently goes to other entities but would not be authorized to increase
taxes. |
Fail |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales |
Fresno |
City of Clovis |
Measure A |
Raise the sales tax 1% for 10 years,
dropping to 0.75% afterward. |
Fail |
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utility |
Los Angeles |
City of Bellflower |
Measure A |
Expand the base and continue the existing
rate of the city's UUT. |
Pass |
81.6 |
|
Utility |
Los Angeles |
City of Carson |
Measure C |
Establish a 2% UUT for seven years – the
utilities affected would be gas and electric only. |
Pass |
69 |
|
Utility |
Los Angeles |
City of Gardena |
Measure A |
Expand the base for the city's UUT. |
Pass |
83.5 |
|
Utility |
Los Angeles |
City of Redondo Beach |
Measure A |
Expand the base and continue the existing
rate of the city's UUT. |
Pass |
74.8 |
Cal-TaxReports, March 9, 2009
© 2009 California Taxpayers'
Association.
All Rights Reserved.