The first sales tax increase in Clayton’s 62-year history was being rejected in the early returns from Tuesday’s election, which also had the extension of an existing parcel tax falling short of the threshold needed for approval.
Measure M proposed a one-cent sales tax to generate an estimated $1 million annually for general city services in Clayton and had only about 42.6% approval in the initial results Tuesday night.
Measure N would extend a parcel tax set to expire at the end of June 2027 and would fund trail maintenance, roadway landscaping, open space weed abatement and other fire mitigation measures. It had about 54% of the vote in the early returns.
Measure M requires a simple majority to pass, while Measure N needs two-thirds approval.
The Clayton City Council put the sales tax measure on the ballot, with council members saying in the ballot argument for Measure M that the city “exhausted every other available means of generating new revenue” and faces a long-term structural budget deficit of $1.18 million.
The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association submitted the ballot argument against Measure M and said money from the tax would “likely be absorbed by rising city salaries, continuing to leave deferred infrastructure neglected and triggering future tax hikes to pay for actual community needs.”
The City Council also put the parcel tax extension on the ballot, with council members saying in the ballot argument in support of Measure N that without the funding from the parcel tax, “maintenance would rapidly decline, forever changing Clayton’s beauty and character.”
The current parcel tax is $312.84 per residential parcel, while the proposed new one was for $354.45 and could increase as much as 3% annually.
The initial results included counted vote-by-mail ballots and in-person ballots from early voting sites. The final election night report was expected by midnight, but county elections officials said the election night report often only represents about half of the total votes cast. The next report will be posted by 5 p.m. Friday.
