Half-Cent Sales Tax, Measure X, Fails in Contra Costa County

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA- Contra Costa County voters Tuesday appeared to narrowly reject Measure X, a half-cent sales tax hike that would have raised $2.9 billion over 30 years to fix potholes, reduce traffic congestion and improve public transportation systems.

Measure X was falling short of the required two-thirds majority vote, having earned a little over 62 percent of the "yes" vote Tuesday with all precincts reporting, according to the county elections office.

The tax would have supplemented the county's existing half-cent sales tax. Voters approved that tax as Measure J in 2004, but just about all of the $2.5 billion is now either spent or earmarked for existing projects.

The biggest single chunk of the Measure X money, $684 million, would have been spent on local street maintenance and improvements, according to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority's spending plan.

>>Also See: Please Don't Help My Kids

The next largest, $300 million, was earmarked for making improvements to the BART system in the county, including the purchase of new train cars, parking improvements and station enhancements.

Hundreds of millions would have been spent on traffic flow improvements on the county's highways, bus transit improvements, new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and other projects, according to the plan.

Dozens of elected officials supported Measure X, as did the League of Women Voters, Bike East Bay and the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, according to the CCTA.

Opponents, led by the San Rafael-based Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund, did not mount a coordinated campaign or raise any money, but hoped to inspire just enough "no" votes to keep the measure from victory.

— Bay City News; Image by Bea Karnes, Patch