San Pablo voters in the November election will decide on a sales tax put on the ballot by the City Council, as well as a rent control citizen initiative that council members are opposing.
Measure R
Measure R would enact a half-cent sales tax for five years and then a quarter-cent tax for the next five years to pay for general city services. It would bring in an estimated $2 million annually during those first five years.
The City Council in July voted to put the tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, and city officials say San Pablo faces a budget deficit in the city’s general fund, in part due to dwindling revenue from the San Pablo Lytton Casino, which accounts for nearly 59% of the city’s general fund revenue annually.
City staff in a presentation to the council noted that neighboring cities such as El Cerrito and Pinole had sales tax rates of 10.25%, well above San Pablo’s current rate of 9.5%.
Measure R is opposed by organizations such as the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association and the Libertarian Party of Contra Costa County.
In the ballot argument opposing the measure, Sandra Kallander, chair of the local Libertarian Party, wrote that “the tax feeds the general fund spent on employee benefits and pensions” and other ongoing expenses.
“They’re using the general fund to push voters to vote more funds. Is that OK? Of course not,” Kallander wrote.
Measure R requires a simple majority of San Pablo voters to approve it.
Measure S
Local tenant advocates Rising Juntos gathered signatures to place a rent control initiative on the ballot as Measure S in the Nov. 3 election.
The proposal would restrict landlords in San Pablo from increasing rent by more than 3% annually, create a city-administered complaint process, prohibit landlords from evicting renters without a valid legal reason, and provide relocation assistance for renters, among other changes to the city’s housing laws.
An independent fiscal impact report commissioned by the City Council on the measure estimated that it will cost the city between $1.08 million and $2.36 million annually if it is approved by a majority of voters.
The ballot argument in favor of Measure S, submitted by leaders of Rising Juntos and the Contra Costa County chapter of the statewide Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, among others, said the measure “establishes reasonable limits on annual rent increases for covered units and creates clear, fair rules that help families plan for the future instead of living with constant uncertainty.”
Elected officials including Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado and Vice Mayor Rita Xavier wrote the ballot argument against Measure S, saying it “creates a new, costly regulatory program” and its “complex requirements will place a significant financial burden on small ‘mom-and-pop’ housing providers.”
“San Pablo residents deserve housing policies that protect renters, support responsible housing providers, and strengthen our community. Measure S does not achieve that balance,” the opponents wrote.
More information about Measures R and S can be found on the city’s website.
