Two Hercules Tax Extensions Appear to Pass

Voters appear to have approved the extension of two tax increases in Hercules, the only city in Contra Costa County with measures on Tuesday’s ballot.

Measure B, which authorizes the city to continue a half-cent sales tax increase indefinitely, received about 75 percent of the vote, according to complete unofficial election results. Measure C, which authorizes a five-year extension of a 2 percent addition to the city’s utility user tax, received more than 72 percent of the vote.

Both measures required only a simple majority to pass. Funds from the taxes, estimated at about $2 million, are slated for general use in Hercules, including police services, street maintenance, and business attraction efforts. The sales tax increase extended by Measure B was initially approved by voters in 2012 and was set to expire next October. Measure C extends the 2 percent utility user tax increase, which was approved in 2013, to an existing 6 percent increase initially passed in 2004.

Both increases will now expire in 2025. No official opposition was filed for either measure, according to the city. City officials said the initial tax increases helped Hercules avoid insolvency as it faced a $9 million deficit. The fiscal emergency in recent years has prompted large reductions in city staff and the introduction of furlough days, according to city officials.

By Bay City News

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