Voters in 10 counties will decide the fate of 14 local tax measures November 2. If all of the measures are approved, it would represent a $53.3 million tax increase for taxpayers in the affected areas.
The largest tax increase is Moreno Valley’s Measure G, which proposes a 1 percent sales tax increase that would bring the total sales tax to 8.75 percent in the city and would cost taxpayers an estimated $20 million per year.
Another large tax hike going before voters is Measure PS, a parcel tax in the City of Commerce. The measure, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage, would tax industrial property at a maximum rate of $0.3221 per square foot, costing property owners approximately $12 million annually. Revenue would be used for emergency services.
Voters in Placer County face Measure U, a $219 parcel tax measure sunsetting in 10 years that would raise $450,000 annually for wildfire prevention services for the Northstar Fire Department and provide green waste disposal options for homeowners. Last month, voters in another Placer County fire district, the Truckee Fire Protection District, approved a $179 parcel tax, Measure T.
Voters in Sonoma County’s Kenwood Fire Protection District, Plumas County’s Long Valley Community Services District, and the city of Isleton in Sacramento County also face measures to fund fire protection services.
Two of Santa Clara’s school districts, Los Gatos Union School District and Berryessa Union School District, as well as San Mateo’s Menlo Park City School District, are asking voters to renew existing parcel taxes.
The Los Gatos proposal, Measure B, would increase the existing parcel tax by $45 per parcel initially, and would impose an additional 2 percent annual increase after that.
The Sonoma Valley Health Care District’s parcel tax renewal proposal, Measure F, would renew the tax for 10 years at up to $250 per parcel, raising an estimated $3.8 million annually for the continued operation of the Sonoma Valley Hospital and emergency room.
Local Tax Measures on the November 2 Ballot
| Type of Measure | County | Jurisdiction | Ballot Designation | Description | Estimated Annual Tax Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documentary Transfer Tax | Los Angeles | City of Inglewood | Measure I | Increases tax on real estate sales to 4.5% on amounts over $10 million, 3.5% on amounts from $2.5 million to $10 million, 1.75% on amounts from $1.1 million to $2.5 million, and keeping the existing 0.055% rate for sales under $1.1 million, to fund emergency and general services. | $3,500,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Los Angeles | City of Commerce | Measure PS | Parcel tax on industrial property at a maximum rate of $0.3221 per square foot, to fund emergency services. | $12,000,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Placer | Northstar Community Services District | Measure U | A $219 parcel tax for 10 years for wildfire prevention services and green waste disposal options for homeowners. | $450,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Plumas | Long Valley Community Services District | Designation to come | Increases an existing parcel tax indefinitely to be levied at $170 per parcel, increasing up to 2% annually, for fire protection and prevention. | $39,780 |
| Parcel Tax | San Mateo | Menlo Park City School District | Measure B | Renews an expiring parcel tax for 12 years and increases it to $598 per parcel, with annual inflation adjustments, for education services. | $4,600,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Santa Clara | Los Gatos Union School District | Measure B | Imposes a $335 parcel tax for eight years to replace an expiring $290 parcel tax, for education services. | $3,200,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Santa Clara | Berryessa Union School District | Measure A | Renews an existing $79 parcel for eight years for education services. | $1,800,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Sonoma | Sonoma Valley Health Care District | Measure F | Renews an expiring parcel tax for 10 years at up to $250 per parcel per year for the continued operation of the Sonoma Valley Hospital and emergency room. | $3,800,000 |
| Parcel Tax | Sonoma | Kenwood Fire Protection District | Measure E | Imposes a parcel tax to fund fire and emergency services, at maximum rates of $0.12 per square foot for commercial properties and $16 per acre for agricultural land. | $300,000 |
| Sales Tax | Riverside | City of Moreno Valley | Measure G | Imposes a 1% sales tax indefinitely for general city services. | $20,000,000 |
| Sales Tax | Sacramento | City of Isleton | Measure B | Imposes a 0.5% transactions and use tax for five years, costing taxpayers $83,726 to $106,858 annually, to fund fire protection services. | $83,726 |
| Hotel Tax | Los Angeles | City of Inglewood | Measure H | Increases the transient occupancy tax from 14% to 15.5% in perpetuity for community and general services. | $730,000 |
| Utility User Tax | Fresno | City of Orange Cove | Measure U | Increases an existing utility user tax on gas, electricity, and telephone from 7% to 10% and creates a use tax on water at 10% in perpetuity, with revenue for general city services. | $346,832 |
| Utility User Tax | Imperial | City of Brawley | Measure U | Renews expiring 4% rate without an expiration and applies the tax to additional services, including phone services. | $2,500,000 |