ARTICLE
We are closing in on Election Day, November 8, 2022, with mailed ballots coming to registered voters starting next week. The Santa Cruz County Chamber has been following the election process closely in the past several months. Local and statewide measures are collecting attention with Yard/Lawn Signs scattered about Santa Cruz County. Social media posts are increasing fivefold in the last few weeks and local news outlets are posting opinion pieces, editorial commentaries and the treasure chest of letters to the editor. I stopped reading those letters as it appears to be the same authors writing the same comments for more than a year-plus in some instances on why they believe XX measure is good and XY measure is bad. And if you are watching any television these days, you are seeing the explosion of campaign ads on statewide measures. Please tell me you are tired of hearing about the two competing sports gaming measures — Prop. 26 and Prop 27 where over $440 million has been spent but both measures seem to be underwater according to a recent poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the LA Times. You can read about it here: CalMatters Sports Betting Measures. There are other statewide ballot measures but for this article let's focus on our Santa Cruz County local measures. Measure K – Santa Cruz City High School District Bond Measure: This $249 million bond measure would generate approximately $12 million annually for the high school district over 30 years. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure K. The Chamber Board voted to support Measure K. Measure L – Santa Cruz City Elementary School District Bond Measure: The Santa Cruz City Schools are overseen by one superintendent and one School Board yet operate as two separate school districts. Measure L (like Measure K) is also a property tax for district residents, a $122 million bond measure. As noted in state law, the funds from the sale of these bonds can only be used for specific purposes related to the school site facilities, buildings and classrooms. For residents who live in both districts, the annual increase would be about $360. For those living in the high school district only, the increase would be about $180 annually. A discretionary 5% of the funds will go to building workforce housing on district-owned land on Swift Street. Link to the Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure L. The Chamber Board voted to support Measure L. Measure N – City of Santa Cruz Empty Home Tax Initiative Measure. This is a deeply flawed measure that would set up a new city bureaucracy, requiring homeowners to register and declare that they are living in their homes for at least 120 days of the year. Just think — a single-family homeowner would be taxed an additional $6,000 annually, with the money generated to go to future affordable housing development — not disclosed. If passed this measure would be an administrative process with no option for the City to modify the measure without another vote. It also sends a strong message to potential individual home or condo owners that you can come to Santa Cruz but you must reside in that property for more than 8 months or find a tenant to avoid an additional property tax levee. Link to the Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure N. The Chamber Board voted to oppose this poorly written measure. Measure O – City of Santa Cruz Our Downtown Our Future – A General Plan and Downtown Plan Amendment Initiative. What an unnecessary and deceptive attempt to convince City voters by a group of local citizens who have zero urban planning expertise to redesign the City’s General Plan. In June 2016, countywide voters approved a tax measure for county libraries, giving authority to local library advisory groups in Aptos, Ben Lomond, Capitola, La Selva Beach, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz’s three libraries the ability to decide what is the best option for their local library. Through a more than six-year public hearing process, advisory committee votes, planning commission input and two City Council votes, the architectural design, development and mixed-use Downtown Library and Affordable Housing Project emerged as the best opportunity for a modern library. Measure O would stop plans for a library/garage/housing complex on the downtown Parking Lot 4. Yes, a parking structure is included in the project that replaces the number of parking spaces that will be lost to other projects downtown. Link to Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure O. The Chamber Board voted to oppose Measure O. Measure P – City of Santa Cruz Transient Occupancy Tax Measure: Measure P would raise the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) from 11% to 12% as visitors would pay for occupancy in commercial lodging facilities. Measure P also would increase from 11% to 14% tax for occupancy in short-term rental properties usually rented through online platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO. The revenue would go for parks, street repairs and wildfire prevention without raising city residents’ taxes. The City’s Measure P would be in alignment with the other cities and the county’s TOT. Link to Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure P. The Chamber Board did not take a position on Measure P. Measure Q – City of Watsonville Planned Growth and Farmland Protection Measure: If approved by Watsonville voters, the measure would continue twenty years to preserve vital farmlands. Measure Q re-affirms the existing Urban Limits Line as approved by voters in 2002 which created a boundary for residential, industrial, or commercial development. That decision was reaffirmed by voters in 2013. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure Q. Measure R – City of Watsonville Community Investment Tax Measure: This measure would increase the current city sales tax from 9.25% to 9.75%, raising an estimated $5 million for youth programs, more parks and deteriorating streets. The City will establish a citizen advisory committee to oversee distribution of the tax revenue to ensure accountability. Link to the Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure R. Measure S – City of Watsonville Planning for Watsonville’s Future Measure: No. This is a City Council-passed version of Measure Q, but which allows “exceptions” to the Urban Limits Line. Farmland and the food and jobs it produces must be protected, thus giving the City Council another swing at development it sees appropriate. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure S The Chamber Board has stayed neutral on Measures Q, R, and S, allowing the Watsonville voters to make the decision on these Measures. As noted, Election Day is 34 days away. Mailed ballots will be sent to reach registered voters soon. In the next eNews, we will provide information on the statewide ballot measure.
We are closing in on Election Day, November 8, 2022, with mailed ballots coming to registered voters starting next week. The Santa Cruz County Chamber has been following the election process closely in the past several months. Local and statewide measures are collecting attention with Yard/Lawn Signs scattered about Santa Cruz County. Social media posts are increasing fivefold in the last few weeks and local news outlets are posting opinion pieces, editorial commentaries and the treasure chest of letters to the editor. I stopped reading those letters as it appears to be the same authors writing the same comments for more than a year-plus in some instances on why they believe XX measure is good and XY measure is bad.
And if you are watching any television these days, you are seeing the explosion of campaign ads on statewide measures. Please tell me you are tired of hearing about the two competing sports gaming measures — Prop. 26 and Prop 27 where over $440 million has been spent but both measures seem to be underwater according to a recent poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the LA Times. You can read about it here: CalMatters Sports Betting Measures. There are other statewide ballot measures but for this article let's focus on our Santa Cruz County local measures.
Measure K – Santa Cruz City High School District Bond Measure: This $249 million bond measure would generate approximately $12 million annually for the high school district over 30 years. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure K. The Chamber Board voted to support Measure K.
Measure L – Santa Cruz City Elementary School District Bond Measure: The Santa Cruz City Schools are overseen by one superintendent and one School Board yet operate as two separate school districts. Measure L (like Measure K) is also a property tax for district residents, a $122 million bond measure. As noted in state law, the funds from the sale of these bonds can only be used for specific purposes related to the school site facilities, buildings and classrooms. For residents who live in both districts, the annual increase would be about $360. For those living in the high school district only, the increase would be about $180 annually. A discretionary 5% of the funds will go to building workforce housing on district-owned land on Swift Street. Link to the Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure L. The Chamber Board voted to support Measure L.
Measure N – City of Santa Cruz Empty Home Tax Initiative Measure. This is a deeply flawed measure that would set up a new city bureaucracy, requiring homeowners to register and declare that they are living in their homes for at least 120 days of the year. Just think — a single-family homeowner would be taxed an additional $6,000 annually, with the money generated to go to future affordable housing development — not disclosed. If passed this measure would be an administrative process with no option for the City to modify the measure without another vote. It also sends a strong message to potential individual home or condo owners that you can come to Santa Cruz but you must reside in that property for more than 8 months or find a tenant to avoid an additional property tax levee. Link to the Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure N. The Chamber Board voted to oppose this poorly written measure.
Measure O – City of Santa Cruz Our Downtown Our Future – A General Plan and Downtown Plan Amendment Initiative. What an unnecessary and deceptive attempt to convince City voters by a group of local citizens who have zero urban planning expertise to redesign the City’s General Plan. In June 2016, countywide voters approved a tax measure for county libraries, giving authority to local library advisory groups in Aptos, Ben Lomond, Capitola, La Selva Beach, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz’s three libraries the ability to decide what is the best option for their local library. Through a more than six-year public hearing process, advisory committee votes, planning commission input and two City Council votes, the architectural design, development and mixed-use Downtown Library and Affordable Housing Project emerged as the best opportunity for a modern library. Measure O would stop plans for a library/garage/housing complex on the downtown Parking Lot 4. Yes, a parking structure is included in the project that replaces the number of parking spaces that will be lost to other projects downtown. Link to Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure O. The Chamber Board voted to oppose Measure O.
Measure P – City of Santa Cruz Transient Occupancy Tax Measure: Measure P would raise the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) from 11% to 12% as visitors would pay for occupancy in commercial lodging facilities. Measure P also would increase from 11% to 14% tax for occupancy in short-term rental properties usually rented through online platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO. The revenue would go for parks, street repairs and wildfire prevention without raising city residents’ taxes. The City’s Measure P would be in alignment with the other cities and the county’s TOT. Link to Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure P. The Chamber Board did not take a position on Measure P.
Measure Q – City of Watsonville Planned Growth and Farmland Protection Measure: If approved by Watsonville voters, the measure would continue twenty years to preserve vital farmlands. Measure Q re-affirms the existing Urban Limits Line as approved by voters in 2002 which created a boundary for residential, industrial, or commercial development. That decision was reaffirmed by voters in 2013. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure Q.
Measure R – City of Watsonville Community Investment Tax Measure: This measure would increase the current city sales tax from 9.25% to 9.75%, raising an estimated $5 million for youth programs, more parks and deteriorating streets. The City will establish a citizen advisory committee to oversee distribution of the tax revenue to ensure accountability. Link to the Santa Cruz Election Department for Measure R.
Measure S – City of Watsonville Planning for Watsonville’s Future Measure: No. This is a City Council-passed version of Measure Q, but which allows “exceptions” to the Urban Limits Line. Farmland and the food and jobs it produces must be protected, thus giving the City Council another swing at development it sees appropriate. Link to Santa Cruz County Election Department for Measure S
The Chamber Board has stayed neutral on Measures Q, R, and S, allowing the Watsonville voters to make the decision on these Measures.
As noted, Election Day is 34 days away. Mailed ballots will be sent to reach registered voters soon. In the next eNews, we will provide information on the statewide ballot measure.