Voters approved 333 local tax and bond measures – 62 percent of the measures on the November ballot – and rejected 94, according to the latest results reported by county elections officials. Another 106 measures are still too close to call based on the latest reports, but 76 of these will be approved if the current results hold.
The 333 measures that are known to have passed will result in $2.1 billion in new direct tax increases and $39.1 billion in bond debt (not including interest) that will be repaid through higher property taxes.
The passage rate for tax and bond measures was 69 percent in the 2022 general election and 75.8 percent in the 2020 general election.
Several major tax increases that will significantly impact taxpayers are likely to pass. Notable measures include:
- Los Angeles Tax Increases. Voters in Los Angeles County are set to approve several major tax increases. Measure A, a 0.5 percent sales tax increase that will bring the top combined sales tax rate in parts of the county to 10.75 percent, is on track for passage. Measure E – a CalTax-opposed measure imposing a 6 cents per square foot tax on building improvements – is also trending toward passage.
- Headquarters Tax Approved in Santa Monica. Voters in Santa Monica overwhelmingly approved Measure F, which imposes a corporate headquarters tax on businesses located in the city.
- Berkeley Voters Approve Parcel Taxes, Reject Energy Tax. Berkeley voters decided the fate of seven tax increases, approving five. The approved measures include Measures FF, X, and Y, each imposing a parcel tax based on the square footage of property and cumulatively costing taxpayers $42.6 million per year. Berkeley voters rejected a first-of-its-kind tax on the energy consumption of large business taxpayers. Measure GG, currently sitting at 30 percent voter support, would have imposed a tax of $2.9647 per therm of natural gas consumed in buildings larger than 15,000 square feet, costing taxpayers $26.7 million annually, with revenue earmarked for decarbonization programs.
- San Diego Sales Tax Increases Too Close to Call. Voters in San Diego County contended with two major sales tax hikes this election cycle, and both are failing but still hovering near the majority-vote threshold required for passage with approximately 20,000 votes left to count. Measure G, which would increase the county’s existing transactions and use tax 0.5 percent, costing taxpayers $350 million annually, has 49.4 percent of the vote. In the city of San Diego, Measure E, which would increase the city’s transactions and use tax 1 percent, costing taxpayers $400 million annually, has 49.58 percent of the vote (roughly 5,000 votes from passage).
- Los Angeles School Bond Approved. Voters in the Los Angeles Unified School District approved a $9 billion bond – the largest school bond on this year’s ballot. Measure US has nearly 70 percent support, outperforming the 55 percent needed for passage.
County elections officials must complete final official results by December 5, and the secretary of state will certify results December 13.