|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The stage is officially set for Pleasanton residents to begin mulling over whether they should approve a half-cent sales tax increase this November, following the publication of the formal arguments for and against the ballot measure.
Both efforts that either support or oppose the “Pleasanton Essential Services Protection Measure” — on the ballot citywide as Measure PP — recently filed their arguments and rebuttals with the city clerk, which are now available online for the public to review.
According to the argument in favor of the revenue measure, which was signed by the presidents of both the Pleasanton Police Officers Association and Livermore-Pleasanton Firefighters Local 1874, among others, Measure PP will be the most important vote residents cast if they want to maintain the city’s essential services and quality of life.
“Local firefighters, police officers and caring residents across Pleasanton are united behind Measure PP and our city to protect Pleasanton’s future,” according to the argument in favor of the ballot measure.
However, according to the arguments and rebuttals against Measure PP — which were authored by several longtime voters and recognizable community members like Pleasanton school board Trustee Steve Maher and Alameda County Office of Education Board President Cheryl Cook-Kallio — the city needs to focus more on balancing its budget rather than asking residents to pay more in taxes.
“The city manufactured a fiscal crisis and called it a business model. Vote NO on Measure PP and demand honesty and accuracy instead of scare tactics,” according to the rebuttal to the argument in favor of the measure. “There’s no valid justification for this sales tax increase.”
On July 16, the Pleasanton City Council voted 4-1 to place the 0.5% sales tax increase measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, which in order to pass would need a yes vote from a simple majority of residents. Councilmember Jack Balch dissented.
The decision to advance the measure came after months of deliberation as staff looked at different options at the end of last year to address a structural deficit in the city’s budget where expenses are increasing faster than revenue.
Staff have said during multiple council meetings this year that the city is forecasting an average budget shortfall of approximately $13 million annually over the next eight years with a total cumulative deficit of $110 million. If there is an economic downturn, the average annual deficit is projected to exceed $22 million and the cumulative deficit is projected to exceed $180 million over the next eight years.
That’s why city administrators said they began polling residents to see if a revenue measure was the best way to tackle these budget issues — after several community outreach sessions and polls were conducted, staff concluded that the revenue measure is the best way to avoid the city’s backup plan, which would be significant cuts to city departments, in order to address the city’s deficit.
Staff have been working on the backup plan for a while, which has not been approved, that includes reduced library hours, eliminating funding for crossing guards, closing one of the fire stations in Pleasanton and reducing police programs, among other cuts in the next two-year budget cycle.
Measure PP would minimize those cuts by generating roughly $10 million annually in revenue for the following 10 years, city administrators argue.
If approved by voters following the Nov. 5 election, the total sales tax in Pleasanton would go from 10.25% to 10.75%, which means that for every $100 of taxable purchases, consumers would pay 50 cents in additional tax.Â
“A half-cent sales tax increase would result in an additional half-cent for every dollar spent on taxable goods,” city attorney Dan Sodergren wrote in his impartial analysis of the measure. “For example, for every $100 spent on taxable goods, the tax would increase by 50 cents.”
The proposed tax — which would sunset in 10 years — would be paid by all consumers purchasing goods in the city and the revenue would remain in Pleasanton. Prescription medicine, groceries, rent, mortgage payments, utilities and any digital goods would be exempt from the tax.
The proposed ballot language reads as follows: “To maintain city services and minimize cuts, such as police and fire protection; 911 emergency response; disaster preparedness; pedestrian safety; park maintenance; pothole repair and street maintenance; recreation programs; open space preservation; and other general government uses; shall the City of Pleasanton’s measure to establish a half-cent sales tax, providing approximately $10,000,000 annually for 10 years, keeping all funds local, with annual audits, public spending disclosure, and oversight, be adopted?”
Sodergren also pointed out in his impartial analysis that out of Pleasanton’s current 10.25% sales tax rate, the city only received 1% of the funds generated from that tax directly, but with Measure PP, all of the revenues “would remain in the City and would not be shared with the State, County, or any other agency.”
While the general tax aims to bring in revenue to the city’s general fund to pay for essential services, the argument against the measure says the city has not been doing a good job at managing its budget in the past and that residents should not be forced to pay for others’ mistakes.
“Trust is earned, and Pleasanton leadership lost our trust when they misrepresented and grossly exaggerated a projected budget deficit, threatening to cut public safety like police, fire service and crossing guards,” according to the argument against Measure PP
“When financial challenges loom, cities typically look inward for cost savings and other revenue sources,” the argument against the measure further stated. “Our leadership has done little of the deep inward look. Rather, they have jumped to a tax increase without analyzing reserve dollars available to address the budget shortfall or considered delaying projects.
Cook-Kallio, who is a former vice mayor of Pleasanton, joined residents Doug Miller, Jan Batcheller, Frank Capilla and Randy Brown in signing the official argument against Measure PP.
The anti-measure advocates also cited issues with oversight on how these funds would be spent.
According to Sodergren, “The revenues and expenditures generated by the tax would be subject to the same independent audit requirements as other city revenues and expenditures and also be subject to review by a citizen oversight committee.”
The argument in favor of Measure PP was signed by police union president Brian Jewell, firefighters union president James Smith and residents Kelly Cousins, Steve Sherman and Yu Tao.
As for the pro-measure side, it stated in its rebuttal to the argument against the measure that Measure PP is about one thing, “protecting Pleasanton from painful cuts to city services.”
The rebuttal defending the measure said without the funds that would be generated from Measure PP, the city will face severe cuts including the possible closure of a fire station.
“What’s at stake? Things we all value: safe neighborhoods, rapid help in an emergency, well-maintained roads, clean parks, economic prosperity, high property values, and the great quality of life we all enjoy,” the pro-measure rebuttal stated.
It also stated that the measure will require strict accountability, such as independent financial audits and public spending reports, so that all the funds can stay local and the spending of those funds will be transparent to the public.
“Opposing (Measure) PP won’t change angry minds or solve our city budget deficit; it only punishes Pleasanton residents and businesses that rely on our City to maintain a safe community and protect our high quality of life,” the pro-measure group stated.
The rebuttal argument in support of PP was signed by former police chief David Swing and residents Brittany Hassebrock, Matt Richert, Linda Garbarino and Paramdeep Singh.
Signing the rebuttal argument against PP were Maher, Miller and residents John Sensiba, Donna Kamp McMillion and Linda Kelly.
For more information and to read the full arguments and rebuttals, visit the www.cityofpleasantonca.gov.
Editor’s note: John Sensiba is a member of the Embarcadero Media Foundation Board of Directors. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the organization, the Pleasanton Weekly’s editorial board or its newsroom staff.
Pleasanton school board set to vote on canceling certain employee layoff noticesApril 16, 2026 7:42 am
