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City of Half Moon Bay Sales Tax, Measure O (November 2014)
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A City of Half Moon Bay Sales Tax, Measure O ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, California. It was defeated.
If approved, Measure O would have authorized the city of Half Moon Bay to renew for three years a 0.5 percent sales tax that would otherwise expire on March 31, 2015.[1]
In 2014, the sales tax rate in the city of Half Moon Bay was 9.5 percent. Only 1.5 percent of this tax, however, was reserved for the city. The remainder went to the state and the county. Without the approval of Measure O, this rate dropped to 9 percent on March 31, 2015.[1]
This tax was originally authorized in 2012 when voters approved Measure J.
Election results
| City of Half Moon, Measure O | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 1,908 | 50.3% | ||
| Yes | 1,886 | 49.7% | ||
Election results via: San Mateo County Registrar of Voters
Text of measure
Ballot question
The question on the ballot:[2]
| “ |
To provide additional funding exclusively for the City of Half Moon Bay that can be used to substantially fund our new Library, upgrade Smith Field and other recreational facilities, repair city streets, improve youth and senior services, and invest in opportunities to enhance our qualify of life, shall the expiration date of half-cent general sales tax approved by Half Moon Bay voters in 2012 be extended for 3 years, to April, 2019, with continued oversight by a citizens' committee[3] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The impartial analysis provided for Measure O is available here.[1]
Full text
The full text of Measure O is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official arguments in support of Measure O:[4]
- John Muller, mayor of Half Moon Bay
- Marina M. Fraser, vice mayor of Half Moon Bay
- Steve Bacich, community & youth advocate
- Hope Atmore, co-president of Friends of the Library
Arguments in favor
The arguments in favor of Measure O focused on three things:[4]
- The tax is a renewal, not an increase.
- The tax revenue will have a substantial impact on the city by allowing the improvement of Smith Field, street repair, maintenance of city infrastructure, increased youth and senior services and, most importantly, the funding of a new city library.
- The tax measure requires strict oversight of revenue and fiscal responsibility.
The official argument in favor of Measure O concluded by saying:[4]
| “ |
Please continue to invest in our Community. On November 4, vote Yes to invest in Half Moon Bay (quote) |
” |
| —John Muller, Marina M. Fraser, Steve Bacich and Hope Atmore[4] | ||
Opposition
Opponents
Harland Harrison, chair of the San Mateo County Libertarian Party, signed the official arguments in opposition to Measure O.[5]
Arguments against
Harrison argued that the city promised the sales tax increase approved in 2012 would be a temporary, three-year tax and should not be requesting a renewal now. He also stated that the need for the tax was exaggerated in 2012 and was being exaggerated again in 2014. Harrison criticized the use of a sales tax in general, calling this form of taxation regressive and saying it "punishes poor people most" and harms local businesses and local jobs.[5]
The official argument in opposition to Measure O concluded by saying:[5]
| “ |
The City of Half Moon Bay shouldn't burden the community with an unnecessary extension of a tax with so little benefit to the community. Please -- Vote NO on the 1/2% Half Moon Bay sales tax extension![3] |
” |
| —Harland Harrison, chair of the San Mateo County Libertarian Party[5] | ||
Related measures
See also
- Local sales tax on the ballot
- City tax on the ballot
- San Mateo County, California ballot measures
- November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California
External links
Additional reading
- The San Francisco Examiner, "Half Moon Bay moves plans for new library forward through public process," June 2, 2014
- Half Moon Bay Review, "Community Input Sought for Library," March 27, 2014
- Half Moon Bay Review, "Friends, patrons ask for support for new library," accessed September 18, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 San Mateo County Elections Office, "Impartial analysis of Measure O," archived September 18, 2014
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections Office, "Ballot Measure information for Measure O," archived September 18, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 San Mateo County Elections Office, "Arguments in favor of Measure O," archived September 16, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 San Mateo Elections Office, "Arguments in opposition to Measure O," archived September 16, 2014
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