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City of Hercules Sales Tax Continuation, Measure B (November 2015)
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| Measure info Amount: 0.5% |
A sales tax continuation was on the ballot for Hercules voters in Contra Costa County, California, on November 3, 2015. It was approved.
Measure B authorized the city to continue its local 0.5 percent sales tax indefinitely. This tax was approved by voters in June 2012 under the name Measure O and was set to expire in October 2016. The approval of Measure B continued a total sales tax rate of 9 percent for the city, consisting of the 7.5 percent state-mandated tax, the 1 percent county tax and the city's 0.5 percent tax. Rejection of Measure B would have reduced the total sales tax paid in the city to 8.5 percent in October 2016.[1]
Measure B was designed as a general sales tax, which means revenue from the tax can be used for any government purpose.[1]
Election results
| Hercules, Measure B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 2,021 | 75.38% | ||
| No | 660 | 24.62% | ||
- Election results from Contra Costa County Elections Division
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
To maintain Hercules’ financial stability; enhance fiscal accountability; prevent cuts to police services/crime prevention programs, street/pothole repair, youth/senior programs, and other essential City services; and maintain the number of police officers patrolling neighborhood streets and the local Hercules Police Department, shall the City of Hercules continue its existing, voter-approved one-half cent sales tax, with citizens’ oversight, audits, and funding that cannot be taken by Sacramento, and without increasing the current tax rate?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of Measure B was prepared by the office of the city attorney:
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The City Council of the City of Hercules has placed Measure B on the November 3, 2015 ballot. If approved by the voters, Measure B would generate additional municipal revenues by extending the existing voter-approved half cent (0.50%) local add-on in the transactions and use (sales) tax set to expire in October 2016. Measure B would retain the voter approved half cent (0.50%) add-on approved by Hercules voters on June 5, 2012 until such time as the City Council either on its own initiative or at the recommendation of the City's Finance Commission, determined that it is no longer necessary because the City has met its goal of achieving long term financial stability with adequate financial reserves. If adopted by voters, the continuation of the existing half cent (0.50%) voter add-on would generate additional general purpose local funding to stabilize the City's finances beyond 2016. Because Measure B does not limit the use of tax revenue to a specific purpose, the City may use the funds for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to maintaining financial stability and accountability; maintaining the Hercules Police Department; maintaining neighborhood police patrols, improving 9-1-1 response times; expanding neighborhood crime prevention programs; attracting business to Hercules; and preventing cuts to street maintenance. Measure B is not a property tax on homeowners. Technically, the existing "sales tax" is a combination of "sales and use tax" and "transactions and use tax." Retailers collect the tax at the time of sale and remit the funds to the State Board of Equalization, which administers the tax. The Measure includes fiscal accountability provisions, requiring mandatory financial audits and independent Citizen Oversight by the Finance Commission to ensure that tax revenues are spent by the City in a manner consistent with the measure. A "Yes" vote is a vote to approve the continuation of the half cent (0.50%) transaction and use add-on originally approved by Hercules voters in June 2012 until such times as the City Council, either on its own initiative or at the recommendation of the City's Finance Commission, determines that it is no longer necessary because the City has met its goal of achieving long term financial stability with adequate financial reserves. A "No" vote is a vote against the continuation of the half cent (0.50%) sales tax measure past its expiration date of October 2016. Measure B would be approved if it receives a simple majority of "Yes" votes.[2] |
” |
| —Hercules City Attorney J. Patrick Tang[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the ordinance is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of Measure B:[1]
- Earnest Lee Taylor, president of the Hercules Police Officers Association
- Virgilio De La Vega, chair of the city's finance commission
- Darrel J. Tucker, former mayor and 37-year resident
- Lori Han, treasurer of FHSC
- Sylvia Villa Serrano, executive director of the Hercules Chamber
Arguments in favor
The official arguments in favor of Measure B made the following claims:[1]
- Hercules was the 19th safest city in California and Measure B funds would help it stay safe.
- Measure B does not raise the city's taxes; it just continues them at the same rate.
- Measure B funds would maintain qualify of life, financial stability and safety.
- Measure B funds would allow more police officers, faster 9-1-1 response time and better streets.
- These services would attract businesses to Hercules.
- Measure B revenue would stay local and include safeguards for fiscal accountability.
Official argument
The full text of the official argument in support of Measure B is available here.
Opposition
No official argument against Measure B was submitted by the deadline. If you know of endorsements or arguments that should be posted here, please email the Local Ballot Measures Project staff writer.
Related measures
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Hercules sales tax continuation Measure B. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Sales tax in California
- Local sales tax on the ballot
- City tax on the ballot
- Contra Costa County, California ballot measures
- November 3, 2015 ballot measures in California
External links
Footnotes
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