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City of Turlock Special Sales Tax for Roads, Measure B (November 2014)
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A City of Turlock Special Sales Tax for Roads, Measure B ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of Turlock in Stanislaus County, California. It was defeated.
Had it been approved, Measure B would have authorized the city to impose for seven years a sales tax of 0.5 percent. This tax would have been a special tax, with revenue earmarked specifically for the maintenance and repair of roads in the city and for no other purpose. City officials estimated that this tax would have brought in about $39 million to the city for road repair over the seven-year life of the tax.[1]
Measure B, had it been approved, would have increased the total sales tax rate in the city from 7.625 percent to 8.125 percent. Of this total, 7.5 percent would have been the minimum state-mandated sales tax rate, and 0.125 percent would have been levied by the county.[2]
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure B.
Election results
| Measure B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 5,439 | 39.23% | ||
| Yes | 8,425 | 60.77% | ||
- Election results from Alameda County Elections Office
Text of measure
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure B:[1]
| “ |
The Turlock City Council has placed Measure B on the ballot to ask the voters of Turlock if the City should enact a one-half of one percent sales tax for seven (7) years. The City’s sales tax is also referred to as a “transactions and use tax.” This one-half of one percent sales tax would be a special tax, meaning that the revenue raised from the tax would go into a special fund and could only be used for specific purposes. The specific purposes include: the construction, reconstruction, replacement, repair and/or maintenance of existing City streets, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, ramps, pedestrian/bicycle improvements, including Americans with Disabilities Act improvements, and necessary pavement markings. The City’s independent auditors will be required to complete a financial audit no later than December 31st of each year, which will include a review of whether revenue raised and expended by this tax was collected, managed, and expended appropriately. In addition, the Turlock City Council will establish a Citizens’ Oversight Committee to monitor the expenditure of the revenue from this tax and report their findings to the citizens and the City Council. The members of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee cannot have conflicts of interest or benefit financially from Measure B revenue. If approved by two-thirds of the voters, collection of the one-half of one percent sales tax would begin on April 1, 2015, and will automatically terminate seven (7) years thereafter or upon the adoption of a countywide transportation sales tax measure. The City Council of the City of Turlock may amend or repeal this tax by a two-thirds vote of the City Council; however, the Council may not increase or extend the rate of tax imposed without the approval of the voters. A “yes” vote on Measure B enacts the sales tax ordinance. It is estimated by the City’s Finance Department that this measure will raise an additional $39 million in revenue over a seven-year period. The proposed sales tax would be collected at the same time and in the same manner as existing sales taxes. A “no” vote will result in the tax not being adopted.[3] |
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| —Phaedra A. Norton, Turlock City Attorney[1] | ||
See also
- Local sales tax on the ballot
- Stanislaus County, California ballot measures
- November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Stanislaus County Elections Office website, "County 2014 General Election Voter Guide," accessed October 30, 2014
- ↑ Sale-tax.com, "Turlock, California," accessed October 31, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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