Election update: Measure M results still unclear, Sacramento County voters pass other sales taxes
Following an update from the Sacramento County elections office Friday, some conclusive winners and losers emerged in local elections.
Results on election night showed Measure A, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s attempt at consolidating power within the mayoral office, was trailing after all precincts reported results, and it failed later in the week. The city’s rent control measure also fell short of necessary votes, losing by a wide margin.
Here’s a look at some other prominent local measures, updated with new results as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Measure B
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Measure B was comfortably winning, with 67% of voters agreeing to adopt it and 32% rejecting it. At that point all 205 precincts had reported results. By the end of the week, the winning margin had narrowed slightly, but the measure still resoundingly passed. The count on Friday showed a 62% of voters supporting it and 37% opposing it, a difference of nearly 35,000 votes.
Measure B will revise Sacramento’s city charter to allow its Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw city district lines in time for the 2022 midterm elections. The measure was written to make an exception to the commission’s timeline given certain extenuating circumstances. After the redistricting commission was established by voters in 2016, California’s statewide primary date was moved from June to March, and the coronavirus pandemic altered the date the city will receive census data from April 1 to July 31.
The city charter currently states that the commission must draw new district lines within six months after receiving census data. If the new districts were put into place six months after receiving census data on July 31, 2021, the new date, it would be too late to effectively use that data ahead of the 2022 elections. With the measure passed, the 2022 primary city council elections will be based on newly drawn district maps, which will have to be drawn no later than 130 days before the election.
Measure L
Measure L passed handily on election night by a margin of 66% for and 33% against, with the city of Isleton’s sole precinct reporting in. On Friday, 125 voters had cast their ballots for the measure and 61 had cast them against it.
The measure will implement a new 0.5% sales tax in the city. The proceeds from the sales tax will go into the city’s general fund, raising the overall sales tax rate for the city to 9.25% through 2027. City funds for the tiny Delta city of less than 1,000 are expected to be significant. The city attorney previously estimated that the measure will bring in an additional $83,000 and $106,000 annually. General fund dollars are not earmarked for any particular purpose, but the text of the measure mentions public safety costs such as police and fire response as potential expenditures.
In March, a similar, but distinctly different measure was defeated by voters. That measure argued for an increase in a special sales tax from 0.5% to 0.75%, which would be used specifically to fund fire services. It came up just short of the required supermajority to pass.
Measure M
Citrus Heights’ 1% sales tax was locked in a tight race on election night, with a slim margin going toward proponents of the new tax. As of 10:20 p.m. 50% of voters approved it and 49% were voting against it. By Friday, those figures had flipped, but the outcome was still far from clear. Out of a total of 25,203 ballots counted thus far, 12,779 rejected Measure M and 12,424 were in favor of it.
If it passes, the city’s new sales tax rate could go up to 8.75%, and officials estimate it would bring in approximately $12 million each year. Like Isleton’s Measure L, proceeds would go directly into the city’s general fund. City council members previously advertised potential sources of funding as police and road repair, among other things, but no restrictions exist on Measure M dollars. All 37 precincts were reporting the results Tuesday night.
Measure R
On Election Day, a Rancho Cordova sales tax of 0.5% was adopted by voters. Measure R received 55% of voter support and 44% rejecting it as of 10 p.m., when all 33 precincts turned in their votes. On Friday, the margin was 54% in favor and 45% opposed, a difference of less than 2,000 votes.
The tax increase is expected to add $8 million to the city’s general fund every year, and will raise the overall sales tax rate within city limits to 8.75%. Although the city has advertised the measure as a tax to fund “recovery and relief,” no restrictions apply to general fund dollars.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 10:10 PM.
