Oakland Parcel Tax For Parks, Homeless Services Narrowly Ahead

click to expand

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – An Oakland measure that would raise $21 million annually for parks maintenance, homeless services and water quality improvements was slightly above the two-thirds majority it needs for approval in election results that were tabulated early Wednesday morning.

But the fate of Measure Q remains unclear because many ballots still need to be counted.

A spokeswoman for the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office said late Wednesday afternoon that 250,000 ballots remain to be counted countywide, although she didn't say how many of those were cast in Oakland races.

Currently, 66.76 percent of the votes that have counted were in favor of the measure and 33.24 percent were against it. The spokeswoman said election results won't be updated until Friday afternoon.

Measure Q would impose a parcel tax of $148 per single-family residence annually for two decades. Supporters say 64 percent of the money the measure would raise would pay for parks, landscape maintenance and recreation, 30 percent for homeless services, 5 percent for water quality projects and litter removal and 1 percent for auditing and evaluating the measure.

Measure Q was supported by grassroots parks advocates, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, City Council members, the League of Women Voters and others. The measure was opposed by a coalition of landlords and taxpayer organizations.

"Once again, people's faith in their local government and community led initiatives remains strong," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said. "Oaklanders are passionate about our parks and compassionate about our unsheltered. Thank you to all the hard-working volunteers who showed up for Oakland."

Homelessness
Oakland