Contra Costa County officials kicked-off a campaign supporting a half-cent countywide sales tax ballot measure, and remain confident that a state Senate bill still in limbo in Sacramento that would make the county measure viable will soon become law.
The Contra Costa County sales tax measure, Measure X, depends on the passage of SB 1349, drafted by Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda. The original bill has been amended to include language providing relief to the county and
several cities – including Danville, Lafayette, Pittsburg and San Ramon – for future similar tax measures. Without passage of SB 1349, the countywide measure cannot move forward.
“SB 1349 is important because it clarifies existing law about whether taxes imposed by other local agencies like BART and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority count against the 2 percent local cap for transactions and use taxes,” said Concord Mayor Tim McGallian, who has worked to support Glazer’s bill. In other words, SB 1349 would allow California municipal governments to float sales tax measures for “transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes” even if they would put those local governments above that 2 percent cap.
That bill, County Supervisor John Gioia said, will let Contra Costa County and its 19 cities continue to seek additional tax income.
The measure would raise an estimated $81 million each year for 20 years to fund county hospital operations and community health centers, fire and other emergency responses and various social safety-net services.
Gioia said other Bay Area counties already have sales taxes that provide this kind of revenue, and that Contra Costa needs it now, especially in light of the pandemic. But Gioia said county leaders have to make a case to the voters that the money is desperately needed to preserve the aforementioned services.
“We’ve been responsible with our budgets,” Gioia said.
Concord voters will say yes or no on Nov. 3 to Measure V, extending an existing local half-cent sales tax and increasing it to 1 cent. City officials anticipate that, if approved, the measure would raise about $27 million a year.
54 comments
No!
Cut the wages and benefit packages of government employees, first. Only after that may you ask for more from MY paycheck.
NO! NO!
Eventually those half cents add up like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Absolutely, Dr. JellyFinger! They are proceeding to get blood from a rock in these financially hard times…and, the clincher is…it will take a majority vote to pass, not the normal 2/3 vote for a special tax! The Board of Supervisors should be ashamed to even put this on the ballot, which by the way is costing We the taxpayers approximately $211,000 to put on the ballot after spending $10,000 to poll 666 people! Folks, vote NO on Measure X.
Here’s a idea let’s shut down the state & stop Americans from working & providing for there families but now that things are starting to open & you may get your first paycheck in months….. We the people supposed to be looking out for you are gonna raise taxes & make it harder for you to survive…… GREAT!!!! Thank you sir may I have another???
No – 20 years are they kidding!
We are TAXED enough!!!!! There is too much gross mismanagement going on. What are they doing with all the tax revenue??? We already have three gas taxes, thanks to the ignorant California voters. Thanks Democrats.
NO to any and all new taxes!
no
no more taxes.
Liberals have never met a tax increase they didn’t like. These folks are absolutely tone-deaf and oblivious to their surroundings. The State and cities are already eying tax increases, our economy is in shambles, many folks are hurting and this tax increase would simply make matters worse. Hopefully I will be living in a different state before I feel the full impact of this latest pickpocketing scheme.
Leave me out of your estimations about liberals! May you find a state you like.
Dorothy, you are free to worry or not as you choose about my moving or the looming tax increases. But when you are the last taxpayer in the state, don’t cry to me.
“…and various social safety-net services.”
No way.
Public safety and hospitals won’t see a dime. All this money will be pissed away on “social programs” just like a large chunk of the rest of our taxes.
I’m tired of this.
No way, no how, will I ever vote for a tax increase!
Just wait and see what happens if Biden get elected.
We’re going to be paying for reparation to 41 million people!
thank you claycord for keeping us informed
having said that, are you F$%^ING KIDDING? the democrats have got to go now! recall gavin now! people are out of work due to the pandemic and these idiots want to raise taxes? FY
#RecallGavinNow
Asking for a tax increase during an economic shut down: No.
Rather, our elected officials need to trim their spending of our money, just as we have had to.
Mismanagement of existing taxes is a glaring failure.
President Trump says no more money is coming for failed Democrat states.
The American people are not going to help you idiots.
Stop voting for taxes and vote these losers out of office.
Stop voting to take my money. It’s not working. Stop it.
NO NEW TAXES!
Vote No! Read my lips, no more tax’s
I’d like to see all new supervisors as well as no new taxes.
First, explain to us how a county employee can retire ten years ago, and have their pension raise every year and now make $20,000 more a year than they made on the year they retired.
And no, they are not a rehire.
This is NOT responsible money management.
Cut all county salaries by 10% or more, then we’ll talk tax increases.
Agreed, why do these retirerees keep getting raises. I get cost of living, but I don’t get raises for cost of living. I know some people that work for county that don’t get raises so it must be the administors who get it They should learn to live off the money they should have saved. No on X
“From the poor to my pension”.
The politicians have spoken.
No new taxes.
NO! No more NEW taxes!!
A sales tax is just another poor tax. Rich people love sales taxes! Politicians love poor taxes. It means they can tax everything and it won’t bother the rich people they should be taxing.
Raise the taxes on the rich, they can afford it
No new taxes. Cut wasteful spending.
HELL NO !!! They have brass balls to beg for money with all the crisis’s this Country is dealing with now and has been all year for that matter.
No doubt the politicians in this State will continue to find ways to increase taxes and continue the money grab but if the voters approve these increases then I will have lost all hope in the sanity of our population. It’s well past time to stand up to these clowns and their buffoonery.
Wasting money on advertising a dead on arrival issue.
And by the way I actually take the time to vote. If you’re going to comment on anything political.. you should state whether you vote, too.
@P
why do we need to say if we plan to vote?
..because you have no right to complain if you do nothing about it!
Campiagn = Lies, lies, and more lies.
No, just because other counties make a wrong decision so therefore CCC needs to follow suit? Negative, Be very aware of Mr Glaser, he is a mirror image of G Newsom.
NO
Measure says nothing about money going to hospitals or community. It goes into the “general” fund which generally means it goes into politicians pockets.
Unless you want even more poverty and keep less of your hard earned money, vote NO on all tax increases and props of any kind. If you don’t, your throwing your money and future away. This county and state is going to crap real quick with tax after tax after tax.
The right and left all want the taxes to be raised. Quit blaming the left that is dated and boring. It is all political and corrupt. Just look at our bad infrastructure. Our lack of land use, and so on. I may move out of this expensive state. I am tired of the same bad results. Right? The definition of insanity. We have a pig sty here and I don’t see how this is going to improve. Maybe I am too negative,
we all need to be careful. these sneaky sobs might word it so that NOT passing means it is adopted.
You’re so right! The nature of ethical has escaped the political left.
Vote NO
200% Demoralized….we are closely approaching crisis .
all government is theft.
Read my lips. No new taxes.
I love Mr. Gioia’s statement that “we’ve been responsible with our budgets”. Wait, what?
Please, start working on balancing our budget without new taxes. It may mean cuts, but you just can’t keep raising taxes.
@CRJN
they are democrats and progressives so they can do whatever they think is right because they are smarter than me and you and everyone else, just ask them
Deal with the BART problems like a janitor making almost a quarter of a million dollars a year. Don’t think Trump makes that much.
Bad timing to ask for more of our earnings.No tax is temporary.
Submitting a tax increase when multi-millions are collecting unemployment and millions more are hanging by a thread…who in the hell votes for these idiots…besides union grifters of course
These jerks aren’t suffering enough. It’s no skin off their backs.
It’s not just the sales tax increase. Glazer’s bill would give local municipalities carte blanche to impose taxes which would exceed the 2 percent legal limit on the amount property taxes may be increased yearly. Glazer’s bill is pure evil and it is sitting on Newsom’s desk awaiting Newsom’s signature. It thoroughly guts Proposition 13 protections for both property owners and renters. Obviously these jerks aren’t suffering the same way the people who employ them are or they wouldn’t even think of doing something like this. If these guys worked for you, wouldn’t you fire them?
No!
Government has taken to much of our money already and we have nothing to show for it except lawlessness, civil unrest, theft, destruction, the forever growing entitlement crowd, taxpayers being told we are racist, and so called elected officials pandering to the illegals and non tax paying socialists and liberals so they get their votes.
Stop voting these fools and bills in everyone. Have you not seen enough. Stop the insanity.
We are already taxed nearly the most in the nation. I will not vote for ANY new tax until tax levels come down, I see the taxes raised are spent responsibly (that means NOT just handing it out to illegal immigrants and those that make a conscious decision not to work yet have the ability and opportunity), and that we actually start to see some return on our tax dollars with respect to better services, better roads, better schools, etc. etc. Currently we are taxed so much and get very little in return and what we do get is of poor quality. Enough is enough…
Just vote NO. No more taxes
You want more money, find it in your house, salaries, pensions and benefits. Cut those to balance the budget, quit asking taxpayers to pay more.
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