Oakland voters on track to approve a sales tax increase
Oakland's Measure A, a half-cent sales tax proposal, was ahead in early returns Tuesday night with about 64 percent of voters approving it, according to information from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters' Office.
If approved, it would increase Oakland's sales tax from 10.25 percent to 10.75 percent to raise between $20 million and $30 million annually for the next 10 years.
It requires a majority of votes -- greater than 50 percent -- to pass.
The Oakland City Council voted 6-0 to place the measure on the ballot in December 2024, with then-councilmember Carroll Fife and Councilmember Janani Ramachandran excused.
The tax "will help stabilize our finances and prevent further erosion in city services, so without the added revenue Oakland will be forced to do deeper cuts that threaten critical community programs such as public safety, cultural arts, human services and undermining the city's quality of life and economic vitality," said Councilmember Kevin Jenkins at the time.
Jenkins, who sponsored the ordinance to place Measure A on the ballot, is now serving as interim mayor until the winner of Tuesday's mayoral election begins their term.
Measure A is intended to help tackle Oakland's ongoing budget shortfall, which is estimated at $280 million over the next two-year budget cycle.
