Voters in Albany were weighing in on six local measures in Tuesday’s election — five of them are tax measures, at least two of which are in direct response to the closure of the Golden Gate Fields horse track and the revenue it generated for the city.
All of them were ahead in the vote count based on early returns from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office.
Measures P and Q
Two of the measures, P and Q, are parcel taxes designed to help make up for lost property tax revenue from the track.
Even if approved, the measures will only take effect “if a parcel over 500,000 square feet” becomes exempt from property taxes — which is in reference to the possibility that the Golden Gate Fields property could be acquired by the East Bay Regional Park District, which is exempt from local property taxes.
Measures P and Q both require a two-thirds vote to pass and in early returns both appeared headed for approval — Measure P had about 78% of the vote and Measure Q also had about 78%.
In 2006, the city’s voters approved a special $167.65 parcel tax for street paving and storm drainage improvements. Now that the track is gone, Albany stands to lose $287,000 annually, which is nearly 22% of the total from that source, according to the city website.
If Tuesday night’s results hold, Measure P would authorize the City Council to “levy this tax at the maximum rate of $0.0638 per lot square foot for all parcels” in order to raise $1.4 million a year, according to an analysis by City Attorney Malathy Subramanian.
In 2022, voters approved a separate $0.0807 per lot square foot parcel tax for emergency medical, advanced life support and fire protection services. With the track gone, Albany expects to lose $400,000 in funding annually for EMS services, representing nearly 20% of the total from that tax.
If Measure Q passes and the track closes, it would raise $2.5 million a year by changing the tax to $0.254 per building square foot for developed properties and $0.110 per lot square foot for undeveloped parcels for emergency services.
Both measures include exemptions and reductions for very low- and low-income residents and allow increases based on the Consumer Price Index.
Measure R
Voters were also being asked to decide the fate of Measure R, a business license tax that requires a simple majority vote to pass.
Measure R was ahead with nearly 74% of the vote based on early returns Tuesday night.
It would base the amount owed by a business on either flat rates or gross receipts, instead of the number of its employees.
Businesses with smaller gross incomes would be taxed at a flat rate that would vary depending on the type of business, and those with larger gross incomes would be taxed based on how much money they earn before expenses.
If it passes, Measure R would generate an additional $600,000 per year for the city’s general fund.
Supporters, including the mayor and the City Council, say the measure would lower the business tax for “more than seven out of ten retail and services businesses” while companies that make more money would “contribute proportionately, creating a fairer relationship between tax responsibility and business activity.”
An argument against Measure R was submitted by realtor Francesco Papalia, a former City Council candidate and former member of the city’s now-defunct Financial Advisory Committee.
Measure S
Another Albany tax proposal, Measure S, was ahead with about 63% of the vote Tuesday night.
If approved by a simple majority of voters, Measure S would change the real estate transfer tax from an across-the-board 1.5% rate to a five-tiered rate structure based on a property’s purchase price.
It is estimated that Measure S would generate an additional $1 million a year for the city’s general fund.
Papalia also submitted an argument against this measure.
Supporters, again including the mayor and City Council, argue that the tax is necessary to continue funding the city’s basic services and that such services actually contribute to property values.
Measure S also changes the transfer tax to be more equitable, they argue.
Measure T
The last local parcel tax on Tuesday’s ballot in Albany is Measure T, which requires a two-thirds vote to pass, and was ahead with nearly 70% of the vote in early returns.
It would create a new $0.0354 per lot square foot parcel tax to raise $775,000 a year for “street trees and streetlighting improvements.”
The tax would only apply to the first 500,000 lot square feet of a parcel and it would provide exemptions and reductions for very-low and low-income residents. The average cost per house would be $12 a month and $3 a month for condos.
Measure O
The only measure on Tuesday’s ballot in Albany that wasn’t a tax is Measure O, which requires a majority vote to pass and was ahead with about 64% of the vote in early returns.
Measure O would amend zoning rules to allow the City Council to make changes in single-family residential areas without a majority neighborhood voter approval.
“Measure O does not change zoning,” according to the ballot argument in favor from the mayor and City Council. “It does not approve any specific project, increase density or alter development standards immediately. Instead, it allows the City Council to consider future updates through the same processes that apply across Albany.”
No ballot arguments against Measure O were submitted to the City Clerk’s Office.
