Oakland, California, Measure Q, Parcel Tax (March 2020)

Oakland Measure Q
Election date March 3, 2020
Topic California parcel tax
Status a Approved
Type Referral	Origin Lawmakers
List of California measuresCalifornia Proposition 13 (March)California Proposition 14California Proposition 15California Proposition 16California Proposition 17California Proposition 18California Proposition 19California Proposition 20California Proposition 21California Proposition 22California Proposition 23California Proposition 24California Proposition 25Submit

A parcel tax was on the ballot for Oakland voters in Alameda County, California, on March 3, 2020. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the city to levy for 20 years a parcel tax of $148 per single-family parcels, $101.08 per unit for multi-unit parcels, and varying rates for other property types and with revenue dedicated to parks and recreation, homeless services, and water projects.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the city to levy for 20 years a parcel tax of $148 per single-family parcels, $101.08 per unit for multi-unit parcels, and varying rates for other property types and with revenue dedicated to parks and recreation, homeless services, and water projects.

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure Q.

Election results

Oakland Measure Q
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		89,363	68.08%
No		41,901	31.92%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

Shall a measure to provide: homelessness support services and programs to help homeless individuals move into shelters and housing; trash removal from parks and creeks; safe, well-maintained parks and trails; clean, accessible park restrooms; improved water quality; and park facilities repairs, by enacting an annual $148 parcel tax for single-family parcels, and other parcels as specified, for 20 years, raising approximately $21,000,000 annually with exemptions for low-income seniors, be adopted?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Barbara Parker, city attorney:

“ This measure would approve an ordinance, "The 2020 Oakland Parks and Recreation Preservation, Litter Reduction, and Homelessness Support Act," and authorize a twenty-year annual special parcel tax. The tax revenue would be limited to the following purposes: 64% for parks, landscape maintenance, and recreational services. 30% for services to address homelessness and enable unsheltered and unhoused residents to access temporary shelters, transitional and supportive housing, and permanent housing. 5% for services and projects to address water quality and litter reduction, including by maintaining and cleaning stormwater trash collection systems. 1% to cover the costs of auditing and evaluating programs, strategies, and services undertaken pursuant to this measure. The parcel tax would be imposed beginning fiscal year 2020-2021 through the fiscal year 2039-2040. Tax rates would be as follows: Single-family residential parcels: $148.00 per parcel. Multiple-unit residential parcels: $101.08 per residential unit. Non-residential parcels: Varied depending on parcel frontage and square footage. Hotels: Either the rate applicable to multiple-unit residential parcels or non-residential parcels, depending upon percentage of transient occupancy. The measure requires the City to maintain current ongoing funding levels for homeless services and the City's stormwater system; and no more than 55% of the revenue allocated to parks, landscape maintenance, and recreational services may be used to preserve current parks operational services, unless the City Council suspends such requirements by resolution to meet urgent and changing needs in the event of extreme fiscal necessity. Exemptions from the parcel tax would be available to qualifying low-income households, senior households, and certain religious organizations and schools. The City would provide a rebate of 50% of the, tax to qualifying tenants in single-family homes that have been foreclosed and to owners of certain affordable housing projects. Prior to the initial collection of the tax, the measure requires the City to adopt an exemption for certain "distressed homeowners," as that term would be defined by the City Council. Beginning in the fiscal year 2021-2022, and each year thereafter, the City Council could increase the parcel tax for inflation by a percentage that is up to the greater of: The change in cost of living in the immediate San Francisco Bay Area, as determined by the U:S. Department of Labor; or The change in California per capita personal income, as determined by the California Department of Finance. This measure was placed on the ballot by the Oakland City Council. Passage of this measure requires approval by two-thirds of voters who cast ballots. ”

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Oakland City Council.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2020
• Local sales tax on the ballot

• Alameda County measures

California

• March 3, 2020 measures in California
• Local ballot measures, California
• Oakland, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• City of Oakland, Oakland Parks and Homeless Services Measure