City of San Carlos Sales Tax Increase, Measure U (November 2009)
A City of San Carlos Sales Tax Increase, Measure U ballot question was on the November 3, 2009 ballot for voters in the City of San Carlos in San Mateo County, where it was defeated.[1][2]
Measure U proposed a local one-half cent sales tax on purchases made in the City of San Carlos. The new tax would have been levied starting April 1, 2010 and would have lasted for six years.
The one-half cent sales tax proposed under Measure U would have been a general tax so funds received from the tax would have gone into the city's general fund, where they would have paid for items such as administrative salaries and general costs of operating the city.
The city estimated that it would have gained $2.2 million in tax revenue every year if Measure U had been approved.
The City of San Carlos had a population of about 27,700 as of the 2000 census.
Election results
| Measure U | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| 3,967 | 56.8% | |||
| Yes | 3,022 | 43.2% | ||
- These final, certified, results are from the San Mateo County elections office.
Support
The official ballot argument in favor of Measure U was signed by Seth Rosenblatt, a member of the San Carlos School Board, and Scot Marsters, past president of the Greater East San Carlos (GESC) organization.
They said, "We all value our neighborhood parks, recreation programs, and police and fire departments. Without the revenue produced by Measure U, our emergency services, park quality, and recreation resources will be severely reduced. These facilities and services are critical contributors to our safety, quality of life, and property values."
Opposition
The official ballot argument opposing Measure U was signed by Kevin Dempsey Peterson, treasurer of the Libertarian Party of San Mateo County, and John J. Hickey, a resident of San Carlos.
They said, "Raising taxes never stopped politicians from claiming they need more money. But higher taxes always make it harder for regular people to make ends meet. And some can’t. Retailers struggle to survive on razor-thin profit margins. Higher taxes won’t help anybody, including city governments, if local businesses are forced to close their doors, due to unprofitability."
Ballot question
The question on the ballot:
| Measure U: "City of San Carlos Vital Services Measure: To prevent further cuts and preserve funding for general city services, including fire protection, paramedic and 9-1-1- emergency response, police protection, and crime prevention; street repair and maintenance; and avoiding closure of parks and sports fields, shall the City of San Carlos adopt an ordinance enacting a one-half cent transactions and use tax (sales tax) for six years with independent annual audits and all funds staying local?"[3] |
See also
External links
- Analysis of Measure U
- Argument in favor of Measure U
- Argument against Measure U
- San Mateo local ballot measures, November 2009
Footnotes
- ↑ San Francisco Examiner, "Shoppers' tax burden could rise," October 9, 2009
- ↑ Mercury News, "San Carlos sales tax increase measure loses," November 3, 2009
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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