November 3, 2009 ballot measures in California
112 local ballot measures were on local ballots on Tuesday, November 3 in 23 of California's 58 counties. Subjects ranged from business taxes to hotel taxes to parcel taxes to local sales taxes to utility taxes, and included rules about local elections, local term limits, rent control and zoning, land use and development issues.
In 2009, leading into the November 3 election, Californians had previously voted on local ballot measures on 15 different occasions: January 13, February 24, March 3, March 10, April 21, May 5, May 19, June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23, June 30, July 21, August 25 and August 28. The final local ballot measure election date was December 15.
Political topics
Land use
- Nine ballot measures to tighten or loosen land use and zoning regulations were on the November 3 ballot. These were among the more contentious local measures on the ballot.
School bonds
- It was a slow election for school bonds, with only three on the November 3 ballot. That brings the annual total to four. That compares to November 2008 when there were 96 school bond measures on the ballot (almost all of which were approved).
Taxes
- 16 parcel tax votes took place on November 3. This brought the 2009 total to 43. Voters approved 19 of the 27 parcel tax measures that were on the ballot earlier in 2009, or approximately 70% of them.
- 5 of the November parcel tax measures were for city parcel taxes. Three of these extended an existing tax. These three measures were approved. The other two requested a new tax. Both of these measures were defeated.
- 11 of the November parcel tax measures were for schools. 7 of them passed.
- Five sales tax measures were on the November ballot. This brought the annual total to nine. Voters rejected all four of the previous four 2009 local sales tax ballot questions.
- November 3 utility user taxes. There were 13 of these on the November ballot. Ten were approved, and three were defeated. Eight had already been voted on in 2009, for a total of 21 on the year. Considering the entire year, 4 failed and 17 were approved.
- November 3 hotel taxes. Voters in thirteen areas voted on whether to increase the hotel taxes paid by visitors. Voters had previously grappled with three of these measures, defeating one of them.
- November 3 business taxes. There were five on the November ballot. Earlier in the year, voters in Beverly Hills defeated Measure P.
Voting
- Eleven ballot measures relating to elections and voting rights were on the November 3 ballot. One popular measure has to do with whether to elect or appoint city officials. Several, such as Measure I in Burlingame, were controversial.
Other
Some interesting ballot measures on local ballots around California on November 3 included:
City of Lakeport Fireworks Initiative, Measure C
San Francisco Mid-Market Arts Revitalization Signs, Proposition D
City of Paso Robles Water Use Fees Referendum, Measure A
Counties
Alameda
Measure I: Albany Unified School District parcel tax
Measure J: Albany Unified School District parcel tax combination
Measure K: City of Emeryville Card Room Business License Tax
Measure L: City of Newark Utility Users Tax
Contra Costa
Measure G: Acalanes Union High School District parcel tax
Measure H: Walnut Creek School District parcel tax
Measure I: City of Walnut Creek Broadway Plaza
El Dorado
Measure B: South Lake Tahoe Community Facilities District Plan Amendment
Imperial
Measure G: City of El Centro Adoption of a City Charter
Lake
Measure C: City of Lakeport Fireworks Initiative
Kern
Measure A: Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District bond proposition
Los Angeles

Measure A: Santa Clarita Annexation Vote
Measure B: Santa Clarita Annexation Vote
Measure C: Santa Clarita Annexation Vote
Measure D: City of West Covina Election of City Council Members
Measure E: City of Huntington Park Utility Users Tax
Measure L: City of South Pasadena Library Tax
Measure M: City of Montebello Police and Fire Services
Measure P: City of El Monte City Council Reorganization
Measure S: City of Artesia Hotel Tax
Measure T: City of Irwindale Hotel Tax
Measure T: Long Beach Unified School District parcel tax
Measure U: City of Irwindale Utility Users Tax
Measure Y: City of Artesia Business Tax
Measure CH: City of Palmdale Adoption of a City Charter
Measure EE: Culver City Unified School District parcel tax
Measure MS: Annexation of City of Maywood properties by LAUSD
Measure PC: City of Pomona Utility Users Tax
Measure RR: City of El Monte Prohibition on Overnight Street Parking
Measure SC: City of Maywood Alternate LAUSD School Site Selection
Measure SE: City of South El Monte Mayoral Terms
Measure TOT: City of Rancho Palos Verdes Hotel Tax
Measure TR: City of Pico Rivera Utility Users Tax
Measure UU: City of Redondo Beach Utility Users Tax
West Valley County Water District: John Gaglione recall
Marin
Measure A: Lagunitas Elementary School parcel tax
Measure B: Larkspur Schools parcel tax
Measure C: Mill Valley School District bond proposition
Measure D: Shoreline Unified School District bond proposition
Measure E: Town of San Anselmo Floor Area Ratio Ordinance
Measure F: Town of San Anselmo Hotel Tax
Measure G: City of San Rafael bond proposition
Measure H: Bolinas Beach No Camping Advisory Vote
Measure I: Town of Fairfax Business Tax Renewal
Mendocino
Measure A: Mendocino Crossings Initiative
Measure B: City of Willits Appointed City Clerk
Merced
Measure A: Los Banos Modification of Police Expenditure Plans
Measure B: City of Gustine Sales Tax Increase
Monterey

Measure G: Town of Carmel Valley Act of Incorporation
Measure H: Carmel Valley Town Council Elections
Measure I: Carmel-By-the-Sea Flanders Mansion
Measure J: Pacific Grove library parcel tax
Measure K: City of Salinas Sales Tax Increase
Riverside
Measure B: City of Norco Hotel Tax
Measure C: City of Perris parcel tax
Measure D: City of Perris Advisory Vote on How to Spend the Measure C parcel tax
Measure E: City of Perris Appointed City Clerk
Measure G: City of Palm Springs Utility Users Tax
Measure H: City of Blythe Hotel Tax
Measure I: How City Council Members are Chosen in Wildomar (At-Large)
Measure J: How City Council Members are Chosen in Wildomar (By District)
Measure K: How City Council Members are Chosen in Wildomar (From District)
Measure L: City of Banning Hotel Tax
Measure M: City of Coachella Utility Users Tax
San Francisco
Proposition A: San Francisco Budget Reform Charter Amendment
Proposition B: San Francisco Aides for the Board of Supervisors
Proposition C: San Francisco Candlestick Park Naming Rights Amendment
Proposition D: San Francisco Mid-Market Arts Revitalization Sign District
Proposition E: San Francisco No Advertising on City Property
San Luis Obispo
Measure A: City of Paso Robles Water Use Fees Referendum
San Mateo

Measure F: City of San Bruno Hotel Tax
Measure G: City of Brisbane Hotel Tax
Measure H: City of Burlingame Hotel Tax
Measure I: City of Burlingame Appointed City Clerk
Measure J: City of Millbrae Hotel Tax
Measure K: City of Millbrae Appointed City Treasurer
Measure L: City of San Mateo Sales Tax Increase
Measure M: City of San Mateo Hotel Tax Increase
Measure O: City of South San Francisco Hotel Tax Increase
Measure P: Portola Valley Utility Users Tax
Measure Q: Portola Valley Increase in Appropriations Limit
Measure R: Portola Valley Appropriations for Open Space
Measure S: Town of Atherton Parcel Tax
Measure T: Town of Atherton Increase in Appropriations Limit
Measure U: San Carlos Sales Tax Increase
Measure V: San Carlos Appointed City Clerk
Measure W: Foster City Rollback of Term Limits
Measure X: Redwood City Creation of a Library Board
Measure Y: Redwood City Business Tax Increase
Santa Barbara
Measure B: City of Santa Barbara Building Heights Initiative
Measure C: City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission
Measure D: City of Santa Barbara Board of Harbor Commissioners
Measure E: City of Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review
Santa Clara
Measure A: City of Palo Alto Business Tax
Measure B: City of Cupertino Utility Users Tax
Measure C: Santa Clara Unified School parcel tax
Measure G: Fremont Union High School parcel tax
Solano
Measure U: City of Vallejo Utility Users Tax
Sonoma
Measure D: Shoreline Unified School District bond proposition (also on the ballot in parts of Marin County)
Stanislaus
Measure A: Modesto Sewer Extension Annexation Proposal
Measure B: Modesto Sewer Extension Annexation Proposal
Measure C: Modesto Sewer Extension Annexation Proposal
Measure D: Modesto Sewer Extension Annexation Proposal
Measure E: Modesto Sewer Extension Annexation Proposal
Tulare
Measure M: City of Dinuba Utility Users Tax
Measure N: City of Tulare Utility Users Tax
Measure O: Springville Union Elementary School District bond proposition
Ventura
Measure A: City of Ventura Sales Tax
Measure B: Ventura View Protection Ordinance Initiative
Measure C: City of Ventura Ban on Big Box Stores
Measure E: Oxnard Schools parcel tax
Measure F: Fillmore Rent Control Ordinance
Yolo
Measure P: City of Davis Wildhorse Ranch Project
See also
External links
- Elections scheduled in Los Angeles County
- CaliforniaCityFinance.Com, Finance measures on the November 3, 2009 ballot
- November 3, 2009 election results on land-use local ballot measures
- Californians Vote: Yes, New Taxes
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