Santa Barbara Sales Tax, Measure A, 2008
From Ballotpedia
Measure A appeared on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Santa Barbara, California. It is one-half cent sales tax that will be a continuation of Measure D, a one-half percent transportation sales tax that was approved in 1989.
A supermajority 2/3rds vote was required to pass Measure A.
Measure A was approved with 79.08% of the vote.
Measure D sunsets in 2010. It funded 17 regional transportation projects, including the widening of Highway 101 from Milpas Street to Hot Springs Road currently underway.
Projects envisioned if Measure A passes are:
- Repair potholes;
- Complete the widening of Highway 101 from Santa Barbara to Carpinteria;
- Improve local streets, and highways;
- Provide safe routes to school;
- Expand public bus services and passenger rail, with increased senior and disabled accessibility;
- Improve pedestrian and bike paths;
- Synchronize traffic signals;
- Earthquake retrofit bridges, tunnels and overpasses;
- Mitigate runoff and water pollution from road construction
Measure D in 2006
Voters rejected a Measure D in 2006 that would have had the same impact as the current Measure A, namely, extending the soon-to-be-sunseted Measure D from 1989. Measure D of 2006, however, proposed an actual increase in the tax from one-half cent to 3/4ths of a cent, whereas the 2008 proposal keeps the tax the same as it has been for nearly 20 years.
In 2006, Measure D got a 54.57% vote, but needed a 2/3rds vote.
