City of San Mateo Sales Tax Continuation, Measure S (November 2015)

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Measure info Amount: 0.25% continuation Expires: 30 years Purpose: General

A sales tax continuation measure was on the ballot for San Mateo voters in San Mateo County, California, on November 3, 2015. It was approved.

Measure S authorized the city to continue to levy its 0.25 percent local sales tax for 30 years. The tax was designed as a general tax, with revenue deposited into the general fund to be used for any government purpose. This quarter-cent sales tax was approved by voters in 2009 under the name Measure L and was set to expire on March 31, 2018. Measure S was also designed to implement an oversight committee to monitor the revenue from Measure S and keep track of the expenditure of the revenue.

Measure S kept the total sales tax rate in the city at 9.25 percent—7.5 percent mandated by the state, a 1.5 percent county tax and the city's 0.25 percent tax. Without the approval of Measure S, the total sales tax rate in the city would have dropped to 9 percent at the end of March 2018.

Election results

San Mateo, Measure S
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		11,037	69.91%
No		4,750	30.09%

Election results from San Mateo County Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The following question appeared on the ballot:

“

To continue locally controlled funding to maintain services and improve infrastructure, including: police patrols and gang prevention; street, sidewalk, and pothole repair; 9-1-1 response times and emergency medical services, fire prevention; senior, teen, and children's programs; parks, paths and playfields, library hours; and other city services; shall San Mateo extend the existing voter-approved quarter-cent sales tax for 30 years without increasing current tax rates with citizen oversight of how proceeds are spent?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis of Measure S was prepared by the office of the city attorney:

“	In 2009, San Mateo voters approved a ballot measure to authorize a 1/4-cent tax on sales to be levied within the City of San Mateo. This 1/4-cent tax on sales was approved as a “general tax,” meaning that the revenue raised from the tax goes into the City’s general fund. This revenue may not be appropriated by any other governmental agency. This revenue may be used for any municipal governmental purpose. Municipal governmental purposes include police and fire protection, library services, public works, street maintenance and repair, programs for seniors, parks and recreation services, and other governmental functions and services. The measure does not bind the City to use the proceeds of the tax for any particular services, facilities, or programs. Under the terms of the 2009 ballot measure, the City was granted the authority to collect the 1/4- cent tax on sales until March 31, 2018. If approved by a majority of voters, Measure S would make two changes to the law enacted by the voters in 2009. First, the law would be changed to authorize the City of San Mateo to continue to collect the 1/4-cent tax on sales until March 31, 2048. The second change would be to establish a citizen’s committee comprised of five residents to oversee the receipt and expenditure of this tax revenue. This committee would be charged with reviewing information on the amount of tax generated and how it was used as described in the annual auditor’s report. The committee would also be charged with making recommendations to the city council on the use of the tax revenue. The tax rate approved by the voters in 2009 will not be changed if Measure S is approved. State law authorizes the City of San Mateo to extend the authority to levy the 1/4- cent tax on sales (technically referred to as a transactions and use tax) following approval by two-thirds of the city council and a majority of the voters voting in an election on that issue. The San Mateo City Council unanimously approved extending the authority to levy this tax on July 20, 2015. A YES vote approves the measure. A NO vote rejects the measure.	”
—San Mateo City Attorney Shawn M. Mason

Support

Supporters

The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of Measure S:

• Carole Groom, San Mateo County supervisor
• Sheryl Angeles, president/CEO of the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce
• Anna Kuhre, public works commissioner
• Brian Kelly, retired fire chief
• Rosalyn Koo, a senior and taxpayer

Arguments in favor

Supporters of Measure S argued that Measure S was necessary to maintain the public services in San Mateo and would not raise the taxes. Supporters said the revenue from Measure S would help improve the city's streets, continue emergency medical services and police protection services, and maintain senior and children services. Supporters also claimed that Measure S included strict fiscal accountability.

Official argument

The official ballot argument in support of Measure S can be read here.

Opposition

Opponents

Mark W.A. Hinkle, the president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, signed the official argument in opposition to Measure S.

The Republican Party of San Mateo County also voted to endorse a "no" vote on Measure S.

Arguments against

Official argument

The following official argument was submitted in opposition to Measure S:

“	“Sales taxes are among the most regressive forms of taxation. Consumers with moderate or low incomes have to sacrifice much larger portions of their incomes on sales taxes than do wealthy consumers”. (according to Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, and presently Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, in an NPR interview) The San Mateo County sales tax rate of 9% is already high – only Alameda has a higher county tax rate. Does anyone seriously believe that this drastic sales tax increase would not impact City businesses? Of course it would! Many folks are already shopping online to avoid local sales taxes. Another local sales tax increase will just drive more business to online stores instead of local brick and mortar stores. That’s bad for local businesses and the local jobs they create. The economy is struggling to rebound and a sales tax increase will hurt that recovery. In 1960, sales tax was only 3%. Raising taxes never stopped politicians from claiming they need more money. But higher taxes make it harder for regular people to make ends meet. As we endure this continuing economic recession, the poorest among us need every single penny to get by. Vote your conscience. Vote for those hardest hit in these tough times. Now is not the time to raise taxes on anyone, especially those who cannot afford it. Vote NO on Measure S. There are other, better ways, to fund City government than through increasing the sales tax. Vote No on Measure S and force the politicians to meet financial challenges in the same way we do – by cutting costs and not spending more than you earn.	”
—Mark W.A. Hinkle, the president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

Path to the ballot

Measure S was put on the ballot by a vote of the San Mateo City Council.

Related measures

• City of San Mateo Sales Tax Increase, Measure L (November 2009) a

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms San Mateo sales tax Measure S. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

City of San Mateo Sales Tax Continuation, Measure S (November 2015) - Google News

See also

• Sales tax in California
• City tax on the ballot
• Local sales tax on the ballot
• San Mateo County, California ballot measures
• November 3, 2015 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• San Mateo County Elections Office website