Santa Clara County's Measure A sales-tax passes
Push for Santa Clara Countys Measure A sales tax
With voting underway, the push continues to build support for a ballot measure that supporters say will keep hospitals and clinics from closing.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. - Voters approved a sales-tax measure in Santa Clara County on Tuesday; 57% said yes to the increase, and it only needed a simple majority.
What we know:
Measure A is a five-eighths cent (0.625%) general sales tax, which will go into effect on April 1, 2026, and will expire after five years in April 2031.
The sales-tax measure was placed on the ballot to counter federal cuts imposed by the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed last July.
Supporters say Measure A will amount to $330 million a year for the county and that it cannot be taken away by the federal government.
South Bay leaders back Measure A
On Wednesday, the mayor of San Jose, along with Santa Clara County leaders announced their support for Measure A. The proposed sales tax increase is on the November ballot and would generate 330-million dollars annually for the next five years. It aims to replace, in part, federal funding thats being cut.
Proponents also said the revenue would bolster local trauma, emergency room, mental health, and public safety services and that the money generated by this tax measure would reduce the risk of hospital closures at Santa Clara Valley Healthcare.
One group, SaveOurLocalHospitals.com, said that Santa Clara County’s hospitals are in crisis after the Trump administration left the county with a one-billion-dollar shortfall.
Congressman Sam Liccardo had stumped for the measure, saying that the federal cuts by the Trump administration will affect everyone's health care.
Former Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody also said county hospitals and clinics would start closing unless local communities stepped up.
The other side:
Opponents of the measure, in part a coalition of fiscally-conservative South Bay politicians, criticized Measure A, saying there would be a lack of oversight and accountability. They were also skeptical that the measure would be temporary, saying it would be akin to a blank check for county officials.
Dig deeper:
One political analyst told KTVU that Measure A stood a chance because of low turnout, expecting the vote to be close, especially with voters getting fed up with taxes.
The County says Measure A would not affect the existing breakdown of tax rates.
- 7.25% to State of California
- 0.125% to the County
- 1.75% to the Valley Transportation Authority and Caltrain, which are independent agencies not controlled by the county.