Local tax Election Results:
Voters Approve 35 of 56 Measures

On November 3, voters approved 35 of the 56 tax and bond measures on local ballots throughout the state.

Broken down by category, voters approved two out of three school bonds; two of five business license taxes; nine of 13 hotel taxes; eight of 14 parcel taxes; three of six sales taxes; one library tax; and 10 of 13 utility users' taxes.

In the city of Newark (Alameda County) a utility users' tax was defeated by a mere 10 votes. The final tally for Measure L was 2,354 in favor vs. 2,364 opposed. The measure sought to enact a 3.9 percent UUT for six years. Interestingly, the failed measure had the support of the Alameda County Taxpayers Association.

The table below shows the results of the local tax measures on the November 3 ballot:

TAX

COUNTY

JURISDICTION

BALLOT NUMBER

PROPOSAL

Results

% Yes

Bond

Marin

City of San Rafael

Measure G

$88 million bond for public safety building and fire station repairs. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

61.01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bond, School

Marin

Mill Valley School District

Measure C

$59.8 million general obligation bond for school expansion. Costs property owners approximately $20 per $100,000 of assessed value. (55% vote.)

Pass

66.94

Bond, School

Marin/Sonoma

Shoreline USD

Measure D

$9.29 million bond (55% vote.) See Sonoma County Measure D.

Pass

63.04

Bond, School

Tulare

Springville Union Elementary School District

Measure O

School bond to upgrade various school facilities. (Amount not available.) (2/3 vote.)

Fail

33.67

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business License

Alameda

City of Emeryville

Measure K

Increase tax on card rooms from 9% to 10% of gross receipts, per month or $1,000 per table, whichever is greater.

Pass

83.29

Business License

Los Angeles

City of Artesia

Measure Y

Increase business license taxes. (Amount not available.)

Fail

49.49

Business License

Marin

Town of Fairfax

Measure I

Renew a special municipal services tax of $125 per year for each business occupancy and dwelling unit, for five years.

Pass

73.49

Business License

San Mateo

City of Redwood City

Measure Y

Increase city's business license tax 16.67% per year for three successive fiscal years beginning July 1, 2010, with automatic future increases based on CPI.

Fail

45.70

Business License

Santa Clara

City of Palo Alto

Measure A

Under the plan, professionals and business services would pay $95 per employee, with a cap of $30,000. The rate for retail, personal services and hotels would be $34 per employee, with a $20,000 ceiling. Landlords with more than three rental units would pay $25 per unit, up to $30,000.

Fail

42.72

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotel

Los Angeles

City of Artesia

Measure S

Increase TOT from 6% to 12.5%.

Pass

50.62

Hotel

Los Angeles

City of Irwindale

Measure T

Impose a 10% TOT.

Pass

84.50

Hotel

Los Angeles

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

Measure TOT

Increase TOT from 10% to 12%.

Fail

48.90

Hotel

Marin

San Anselmo

Measure F

Establish TOT of 10%.

Fail

39.67

Hotel

Riverside

City of Blythe

Measure H

Increases hotel rate from 10% to 13%.

Fail

47.06

Hotel

Riverside

City of Banning

Measure L

Increase TOT from 6% to 12%, for 10 years.

Pass

75.14

Hotel

Riverside

City of Norco

Measure B

Increase TOT from 8% to 11% to raise general fund revenue.

Pass

54.53

Hotel

San Mateo

City of Brisbane

Measure G

Increase TOT from 10% to 12%.

Pass

64.60

Hotel

San Mateo

City of Burlingame

Measure H

Increase TOT from 10% to 12%.

Pass

79.80

Hotel

San Mateo

City of Millbrae

Measure J

Increase TOT from 10% to 12%.

Pass

68.70

Hotel

San Mateo

City of San Bruno

Measure F

Increase TOT from 10% to 12%.

Pass

70.00

Hotel

San Mateo

City of San Mateo

Measure M

Increase TOT by 2%.

Pass

74.60

Hotel

San Mateo

City of South San Francisco

Measure O

Increase TOT by 1% and "modernize" it to cover online reservations and separate charges for parking at hotels.

Pass

77.70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parcel

Alameda

Albany USD

Measure I

Tax of $149 for five years, with annual inflation increases.

Pass

76.32

Parcel

Alameda

Albany USD

Measure J

Combine three existing taxes into a $555 annual tax, increased every year for inflation.

Pass

77.34

Parcel

Contra Costa

Acalanes Union HSD

Measure G

Replace current $189 per-year tax, which expires in June 2011, with a new tax of the same amount but with no expiration date.

Pass

74.47

Parcel

Contra Costa

Walnut Creek School District

Measure H

Permanently extend existing tax of $82 per parcel that is set to expire in 2011. (2/3 vote.)

Pass

75.72

Parcel

Los Angeles

Culver City USD

Measure EE

Tax of $96 per parcel for five years. (2/3 vote.)

Pass

74.92

Parcel

Los Angeles

Long Beach USD

Measure T

Tax of $92 per parcel for five years. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

43.84

Parcel

Marin

Lagunitas Elementary SD

Measure A

Tax of $325 per year, with annual increases of 6.5%, for eight years. (2/3 vote.)

Pass

67.44

Parcel

Marin

Larkspur SD

Measure B

Renew tax at current rate of $368.88 per year for eight years, with a 5% annual increase. (2/3 vote.)

Pass

70.48

Parcel

Monterey

City of Pacific Grove

Measure J

Tax of $96 per parcel, $75 for each unit of a multi-family residential building, to fund library services. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

65.91

Parcel

Riverside

City of Perris

Measure C

Imposes a parcel tax of 135.88. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

42.87

Parcel

San Mateo

Town of Atherton

Measure S

Extend tax of $750 per parcel (for most parcels) through June 2014. Otherwise will expire June 2010. (2/3 vote.)

Pass

77.80

Parcel

Santa Clara

Fremont Union HSD

Measure G

Extend existing tax of $98 per parcel and eliminate sunset date. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

59.66

Parcel

Santa Clara

Santa Clara USD

Measure C

Tax of $138 per parcel for five years. (2/3 vote.)

Fail

62.96

Parcel

Ventura

Oxnard School District

Measure E

Tax of $99 per parcel, per year for four years. (2/3 vote).

Fail

47.10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales

Merced

City of Los Banos

Measure A

Reallocates sales tax revenues from Measure P, approved in 2004, to fund local fire and police officers.

Pass

82.45

Sales

Merced

City of Gustine

Measure B

Increase sales tax 0.5% for "community services."

Pass

51.87

Sales

Monterey

City of Salinas

Measure K

Increase sales tax 1% (for a total of 9.75%) with no expiration date. (Majority vote.)

Fail

39.29

Sales

San Mateo

City of San Carlos

Measure U

Raise sales tax 0.5% for six years. (Majority vote.)

Fail

43.30

Sales

San Mateo

City of San Mateo

Measure L

Raise sales tax 0.25% for eight years. (Majority vote.)

Pass

61.20

Sales

Ventura

City of Ventura

Measure A

Raise the city's sales tax by 0.5% (for a total of 8.75%) for four years. (Majority vote.)

Fail

44.53

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Tax

Los Angeles

City of South Pasadena

Measure L

Extend the Library Special Tax for five years (through June 30, 2016).

Pass

79.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility

Alameda

City of Newark

Measure L

Enact 3.9% UUT for six years on gas, electric, telecommunications and video service bills. (Majority vote.)

Fail

49.89

Utility

Los Angeles

City of Huntington Park

Measure E

Increase existing UUT and Communications Users' Tax rates 2.75%. (Majority vote.)

Pass

52.21

Utility

Los Angeles

City of Irwindale

Measure U

Ratify existing UUT and expand base to cover new technologies. (Majority vote.)

Pass

82.00

Utility

Los Angeles

City of Redondo Beach

Measure UU

Repeal an exemption in order to force AES Corp. to pay UUT on its power plant in the city. (Majority vote.)

Fail

46.80

Utility

Los Angeles

City of Pico Rivera

Measure TR

Reduce UUT rate by 0.5% and expand base "to reflect technological advances and changes." (Majority vote.)

Pass

67.61

Utility

Los Angeles

City of Pomona

Measure PC

Ratify existing 9% UUT, expand base to cover new telecommunications technologies. (Majority vote.)

Pass

60.08

Utility

Riverside

City of Coachella

Measure M

Enact a 5% UUT on electricity, gas, water, sewer, cable TV and refuse hauling.

Fail

45.34

Utility

Riverside

City of Palm Springs

Measure G

Reduce UUT rate from 5% to 4.5% and expand base to include cell phones and other new technologies.

Pass

70.19

Utility

San Mateo

Town of Portola Valley

Measure P

Extend existing 4.5% UUT for four years (through 2014). (Majority vote.)

Pass

82.50

Utility

Santa Clara

City of Cupertino

Measure B

Extend existing UUT and expand the base to cell phones and other technology.

Pass

75.97

Utility

Solano

City of Vallejo

Measure U

Reduce UUT rate from 7.5% to 7.3% and expand the base to cover texting, T-1 Internet connections and other new technology.

Pass

63.37

Utility

Tulare

City of Dinuba

Measure M

Extends 7% utility tax and eliminates sunset date. (Majority vote.)

Pass

64.86

Utility

Tulare

City of Tulare

Measure N

Reduces utility tax rate from 7% to 6%, but eliminates limit of rate increase. (Majority vote.)

Pass

83.34

Cal-TaxReports, November 16, 2009

© 2009 California Taxpayers' Association. All Rights Reserved.