Several tax measures for cities in Solano County were narrowly ahead in Tuesday’s election, with early results showing 52.7% of voters in favor of Measure P in Fairfield, 51% in favor of Measure V in Vacaville and 66.4% in favor of Measure O in Rio Vista.
Measure P, Fairfield
Measure P proposes a one-cent-per-dollar increase in Fairfield, bringing the local sales tax to 9.375% — so, a $50 purchase at a hardwood store would come out to roughly $54.69, about 50 cents higher than before. Currently, visitors and residents pay an 8.375% sales tax on goods bought and sold in the city, excluding groceries and prescription medications.
Fairfield voters previously approved a one-cent sales tax in 2012 and in 2016 voted to extend the tax through 2033. If Measure P passes, the new sales tax would appear on receipts starting in 2027 and last until voters approve a ballot measure to end it.
Measure V, Vacaville
Vacaville boasts the lowest sales tax rate in the county at 8.125%. According to the city, Vacaville only keeps 1.75% of the revenue from the existing sales tax, while the county and state take the rest.
Measure V is a separate, one-cent sales tax that would add an estimated $28 million annually to the city’s general fund and stay local. The measure includes a citizens’ oversight committee and public auditing.
Vacaville voters approved a 0.75% tax, Measure M, in 2012 and, like Fairfield, approved an extension in 2016. According to the city, funds from Measure M supported 29 full-time staff and a number of civic necessities.
Opponents argue that the tax hurts households at a time when the cost of living has risen sharply, with the Solano County Taxpayers’ Association calling the measure “another discretionary tax disguised as an ‘essential services’ measure.”
Measure O, Rio Vista
Rio Vista visitors and residents pay one of the higher sales tax rates in the county at 9.125%. Measure O does not propose to increase the existing tax, but to extend a 0.75% tax through 2030.
The tax was approved by voters in 2020 and is set to expire in 2027 — which city leaders say is a problem, citing a 7% drop in revenue for the general fund since 2024.
Funds from Measure O are earmarked for general city services, but a vast majority support the fire and police departments, which have become increasingly expensive, according to the city.
If Measure O passes, it could generate between $1,398,000 and $1,467,000 annually. If the extension fails, the city faces a $1.4 million deficit in the coming years.