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Even after thousands of additional votes poured into the Measure PP race on Monday, the latest tallies reported by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office continue to show the half-cent sales tax measure failing with a likely insurmountable deficit.
And now, that voter margin has grown from roughly 800 votes last week, to now just over 2,500 as of 2:58 p.m. Monday. The registrar’s office update shows that 54.93% (14,171 votes) are against the measure while 45.07% (11,629 votes) are in support of the tax increase that needed a simple majority to pass.
As of Wednesday morning, the registrar’s office had tallied 483,986 total ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s office. However, the office also shows there are still 187,135 unprocessed ballots, making it the only Bay Area county with over 100,000 ballots left to count. Alameda County is one of eight counties that are in similar, or in some cases worse, situations.
Craig Freeman — co-chairperson of the Yes on Measure PP committee, Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department captain and treasurer of the IAFF Local 1974 union — told the Weekly on Monday night that as they await certification from the registrar’s office, they were “disappointed to see that Measure PP has failed at the ballot box”.
Pleasanton is facing a significant structural deficit that could cost the city tens of millions of dollars each year, according to the city administration. City staff have projected a yearly budget shortfall starting at $10,788,817 in 2026, with that number rising as high as $15,678,578 in 2030 — although the opposition campaign against PP questioned those projections and the tax measure as a needed solution at this time.
“Pleasanton’s labor groups have heard the message from Pleasanton’s staff and council regarding the financial outlook for our city,” Freeman said. “It is clear the decreases in revenue from various sources will not keep up with rising costs for delivery of the City’s full service model.”
That’s why the City Council majority previously approved placing the revenue measure on the ballot.
Measure PP would have brought Pleasanton’s sales tax up from 10.25% to 10.75%, which in turn would have generated roughly $10 million every year in revenue exclusively for the city, according to city officials in the past.
“Measure PP was a temporary sales tax which would have enabled the city of Pleasanton to continue to provide the essential services of the city and to address our multiple infrastructure issues that have not been properly funded, including the replacement of fire stations,” Freeman said.
But now that the unofficial election results show the measure failing, the city might have to soon pivot to its backup plan where it built a possible contingency plan of services and departmental cuts in order to balance the city’s budget.
The No on Measure PP committee had not responded to requests for fresh comments as of Tuesday afternoon.
Doug Miller, chairperson of the anti-measure committee, told the Weekly last week that as far as the city’s projected budget deficit and challenges, he hopes future leadership will not panic and take the time to work with the community to find solutions that won’t impact residents as much. He suggested creating some sort of ad hoc group or citizens committee to dive deeper into the city’s budget.
Miller also previously pointed out how Measure PP became a key issue in Pleasanton’s elections and how the measure was losing at the same rate as candidates like Mayor Karla Brown and City Councilmember Valerie Arkin, who both supported the measure publicly.
According to the registrar’s office, that similarity can be seen at least in the mayor’s race with the two races being almost identical in people voting no to the measure and yes to mayoral candidate Jack Balch.
However, Freeman said politicizing Measure PP was one of the worst things that could have happened for Pleasanton.
“We feel the way in which this issue was politicized did not serve the best interests of the community or the services they receive,” Freeman said. “We are concerned with the likelihood for cuts to services in all departments during this and future budget cycles and the impacts those cuts will have on the residents and businesses in the community.”
With the writing on the wall for the 2024 election, the city administration will soon turn toward figuring out what to do budget-wise without the new sales tax revenue.
“While the election results won’t be final until certified, it appears that Measure PP will not pass,” City Manager Gerry Beaudin told the Weekly on Wednesday morning.
“As always, the city of Pleasanton remains committed to using community funds responsibly, and transparency and community involvement remain top priorities,” Beaudin said. “Without the additional revenue from Measure PP, difficult decisions are on the horizon and we will work within existing resources to develop a balanced budget.”
“This will require the City Council to have in-depth discussions about priorities and strategies to address our financial challenges. As we develop the next two-year budget, the city will ensure that the community stays informed and involved,” he added.
Meanwhile- the revenue numbers are in for 23/24. Wait for it ….. $12 million surplus. Numbers are available in the agenda documents for Tuesdays cc meeting.