The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today unanimously voted to place on the November ballot an extension of Measure A, the existing half-cent sales tax funding critical local services and infrastructure.
The Board needed a four-fifths majority vote to adopt the resolution that asks voters if Measure A should last 20 years beyond the current 2023 sunset date. The measure needs a simple majority of voters in the Nov. 4, 2016 election to pass.
Voters passed Measure A by 65.4 percent in November 2012 and the tax took effect on April 1, 2013. To date, the tax has raised more than $80 million annually that cannot be taken away by the state.
As a general sales tax proposal, the Measure A extension cannot be imposed for any specific funding purposes. The extension will continue to require an independent citizens committee and annual audits to ensure oversight and accountability.