CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County voters appear to have delivered a split verdict on the June 2 ballot, rejecting new taxes and borrowing proposals while embracing growth restrictions that supporters say will protect open space and limit suburban sprawl.
Voters rejected Measure B, a proposal that would have increased the county sales tax by 0.625% for five years to fund county services. The measure trailed badly, with 59.04% voting no and 40.96% voting yes. County officials estimated the tax would have generated about $150 million annually.
At the same time, voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, extending Contra Costa County's urban limit line. The measure passed with 67.91% support, preserving growth boundaries that restrict development in designated open-space and agricultural areas.
Voters also rejected Measure G, a $920 million bond measure for the Contra Costa Community College District. The proposal received 46.78% support, falling short of both a majority vote and the 55% threshold required for school bond measures.
Local measures produced mixed results across the county.
In Pinole, voters rejected Measure D, which would have created an elected mayor position, and Measure F, which would have established a four-year mayoral term.
In Moraga, voters approved the Measure I school parcel tax extension, with more than two-thirds (68.17%) in support.
County election officials reported turnout at roughly 23.9%, with more than 174,000 ballots counted. Thousands of vote-by-mail ballots remained to be processed before certification, though the outcomes of the countywide measures appeared decisive.
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Lamorinda, CA Patch
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