Sales tax increases head for November ballot | Tim Talk | Tim Hunt | DanvilleSanRamon.com |

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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Sales tax increases head for November ballot

Uploaded: Aug 4, 2020
Last week, supervisors in Alameda and Contra Costa counties decided to give the public a choice about whether to raise taxes.

Both boards, with only Danville Supervisor Candace Andersen opposed, approved putting half-cent increases in the sales tax on the ballot. The money would be used to supplement the counties’ general funds with money targeted for social services.

Alameda County residents already pay at least 9.25% with five cities at 9.75% with an extra half-cent applied locally. County residents already are paying an additional 1 cent for transportation, one-half cent for the county health care system and have a higher sales tax rate than almost 90 percent of the cities in the state.

The Alameda County proposal is for 10 years and is estimated to raise $150 million per year. Our local supervisors, the retiring Scott Haggerty and Nate Miley joined their colleagues in the unanimous approval. That’s a big chunk of money, but, for perspective, consider that the budget was $3.54 billion in the last fiscal year.

The good news is that it should require a two-thirds majority vote, giving tax-conscious citizens an opportunity to scuttle it.

Contra Costa passed their ballot measure with a major contingency—the passage of legislation by state Sen. Steve Glazer by Aug. 24. Glazer’s bill would allow Contra Costa County to put forward the tax measure with revenues going to its general fund and do so by only a simple majority vote. Measures such as sales taxes for transportation have required a two-thirds vote although the Legislature has lowered the threshold for school bond measures to 55%.

As difficult as the county budget will be this year, it’s no time to impose a further burden on families. Statewide voters blew the whistle in the March primary when they rejected a $15 billion school bond and well over 50% of the local tax measures in the state went down.

As CalMatters columnist Dan Walters observed that was even true in affluent Marin County where school measures that typically won with 70% or more went down or barely passed. He also observed in a March column that a Public Policy Institute of California poll showed that 58% of those polled believed taxes were too high.

After seeing measures thrashed in March, will the politicians and advocates slow down in November—not likely given measures being floated in Sacramento and last week’s action by the supervisors. The November ballot also brings the option for a partial repeal of Proposition 13 that would transform it into a split roll for property taxes with commercial and retail properties subject to reassessment instead of locked in to set increases.
Community.
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Comments

Posted by Lahommed, a resident of Dublin,
on Aug 4, 2020 at 1:21 pm

Lahommed is a registered user.

Say No to any damn tax increase....Congressman Swalwell has wasted much of our county monies so why do we have to pay for his Incompetence? No to the board of Supervisors and NO again to any county tax increase any sales tax increase...to any tax period! Wake up alameda county..we pay enough Taxes...its the piss poor accounting we must address..where does all our tax dollars go? Whose pockets are being filled?


Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Aug 4, 2020 at 7:41 pm

Michael Austin is a registered user.

It is a good thing that we do not get as much government that we pay for.


Posted by dknute, a resident of Golden Eagle,
on Aug 5, 2020 at 1:41 pm

dknute is a registered user.

No....NO....NO....100 times No to ANY NEW TAXES....We're being over taxed Now. What the heck would they do with more tax anyway...Waste it like they do with what they get now??....Roads in disrepair, No Buildings are OPEN to use...Can't go to Church, Cannot patronize locally owned businesses. No Government Services are Working!. No Government Services (i choke when i place the word services in same sentence with Government) Schools Are NOT Opening...Children will miss very important opportunities to be with their friends, see their teachers, and socialize outside the family...It's not a pretty picture and all for What? More Taxes to do LESS than has been done....
NO, I say NO...
No Taxes...


Posted by Jennifer, a resident of Danville,
on Aug 5, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Jennifer is a registered user.

Just say NO!


Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Aug 5, 2020 at 7:39 pm

Michael Austin is a registered user.

Unfortunately, the government we have over paid for is inept in the EDD and the DMV.


Posted by diy, a resident of Apperson Ridge,
on Sep 4, 2020 at 12:06 pm

diy is a registered user.

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Posted by diy, a resident of Apperson Ridge,
on Sep 4, 2020 at 12:06 pm

diy is a registered user.

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Posted by AlishaHoward, a resident of Canyon Creek,
on Oct 29, 2020 at 3:32 am

AlishaHoward is a registered user.

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Posted by angela angie, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 30, 2020 at 2:55 am

angela angie is a registered user.

Glazer's bill would allow Contra Costa County to put forward the tax measure with revenues going to its general fund and do so by only a simple majority vote. Measures such as sales taxes for transportation have required a two-thirds vote although the Legislature has lowered the threshold for school bond measures to 55%.

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