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Facing the prospect of hospital closures and severe service reductions in the county’s health care system, Santa Clara County voters approved on Tuesday a sales-tax increase that will help offset federal cuts.
With all precincts reporting, 57% of the county voters supported Measure A, a 5/8-cent general sales tax that the county Board of Supervisors placed on the ballot in August. The vote came a month after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill, federal legislation that included significant cuts to medical services.
County officials said they plan to use the projected $330 million in annual proceeds to partially offset the roughly $1 billion in revenue losses that the county expects to incur as a result of federal cuts. Because Measure A is a general sales tax, it only requires a simple majority to pass.
County Executive James Williams and members of the Board of Supervisors have been vigorously campaigning in favor of Measure A, which they characterized as a crucial tool for supporting critical safety-net services. In an October presentation to the Palo Alto City Council, Williams warned of the federal bill’s devastating impacts. According to county officials, about 465,000 residents in the county rely on Medi-Cal and may lose their health care coverage. The bill also puts 133,000 residents who rely on CalFresh at risk of losing food assistance.
“We know we’re going to have to make a number of very painful choices and decisions as a county organization, and that’s regardless of Measure A,” Williams said.
Otto Lee, president of the Board of Supervisors, said in a statement that the county had already spent several years trying to make expense reductions. The Board has “already cut the fat,” he said in an August statement.
“We are literally cutting into the meat right now and cutting into the bone. And if we don’t find other stopgap measures, we are going to be losing limbs, like closing clinics and closing hospitals,” Lee said.
With supporters of Measure A enjoying a strong lead Tuesday, county Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga issues a statement calling the funding “game-changing.” She said that it will help avoid steep cuts to services and programs that the county’s most vulnerable residents rely on.
“The voters have entrusted us with the duty of utilizing these funds responsibly, and I am firmly committed to holding ourselves accountable for delivering results with the tremendous investment the voters made tonight,” Abe-Koga said. “I thank the voters for their support.”
County voters also strongly backed Proposition 50, a statewide redistricting measure that Democrats hope will shift five Congressional districts away from Republicans. Spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the proposition is California’s response to Texas legislators who earlier this year redrew their state’s map to give Republicans an advantage. Characterized by backers as an emergency measure, the measure expires in five years. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission will be charged with drawing new maps after the 2030 U.S. Census.
Statewide, about 64% of the voters supported Prop. 50, according to early results. In Santa Clara County, the proposition received support from 71% of the voters, based on reports from 94% of the precincts.
Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Matt Moreles said the county was on track for between 50% and 60% voter turnout, which he said is “high for a special election and may even exceed some regularly-scheduled statewide elections.”
“We take great pride in making voting easy and convenient for our voters and we are pleased to see voters taking advantage of the variety of accessible and convenient voting options available to them,” Moreles said in a statement.
With victory certain, Williams thanked community members for supporting Measure A, which he said reaffirms the county’s commitment to providing a public health care delivery system that “sets a standard of excellence and service that is a beacon for our nation.”
“As your county government, our commitment to this community is that we are here when you need us,” Williams said in a Nov. 6 statement. “Thanks to the support from this community for Measure A, we can reaffirm our commitment to providing access to critical, life-saving services in the face of a devastating fiscal crisis that’s being brought upon us by this federal administration.”
Let’s be real here. This money “could” go to fund health care, but it is not designated for that. If that were the case, it would take a 3/4 majority to pass.
Instead this is a general tax “ear marked” for health care, but the county can also decide to give it to teachers, fire departments, the sheriff department, or on raises for themselves. And if the federal funding is restored, even partially, watch how fast this funding will find it’s way to the next “fiscal crisis”.
No, I’m not a pessimist, I’ve just seen this played out over and over again. Holding themselves accountable only lasts until they can figure out some other way to spend the money.