Tax Measure Will Stay on Ballot
A proposed half-cent sales tax increase for Santa Clara County that likely will be used to fund health care and transportation will remain on the June 6 ballot, a judge ruled on Thursday, the San Jose Mercury News reports (Yost, San Jose Mercury News, 3/31).
The initiative, Measure A, would impose a "general purpose tax," which requires a simple majority to pass, but does not allow officials to specifically state what projects would receive funds.
Opponents of the measure in a lawsuit said the state constitution requires proposed tax measures to "be consolidated with a regularly scheduled general election," which is held in November.
According to county officials, the June ballot is considered a primary election for many state offices but is a general election for two seats on the county Board of Supervisors.
In addition, a portion of the state elections code defines a "general election" as "any statewide election held on a regular election date," including the "first Tuesday after the first Monday in June" (California Healthline, 3/23).