Two of Three County Tax Measures Failing

San Mateo County voters appear to have split on three business-related taxes, and a handful of school parcel tax and bond measures showed narrow support in Tuesday's primary.

According to preliminary results, voters appear to have defeated a proposed increase in the transient occupancy tax and a new tax on commercial parking facilities, while a business license tax on car rental businesses was still too close to call.

Measure U, which would have raised the transient occupancy tax by 2 percent, to 12 percent, was opposed by 53.5 percent of voters, according to semi-official results.

Measure X, a business license tax on parking facilities in unincorporated areas, also appears to have failed, with 53.1 percent of voters casting "no" votes.

Measure T, which proposes a 2.5 percent business tax on car rental businesses, had just over 50 percent support and was too close to call.

All three measures require majority approval.

A parcel tax measure benefiting a local school district appears to have narrowly passed, and another was too close to call. Both require two-thirds approval, or 66.7 percent of the vote, to pass.

Measure W, which will levy a $67 parcel tax on properties in the Redwood City School District, earned 69 percent support, according to preliminary results.

Measure Y, a $45 parcel tax on properties in the Jefferson Union High School District, was lingering just above the threshold it needed late Tuesday, with semi-official results showing the measure with 67.2 percent support.

An $81 million bond measure to benefit the Cabrillo Unified School District -- Measure S -- was also too close to call, with 55.3 percent voting to support it. The measure needs 55 percent approval to pass, and some votes still remain to be counted.

Two special district taxes on the ballot for voters in Portola Valley and the unincorporated San Mateo neighborhood of Highlands have passed.

Measure V would raise an annual parcel tax in Portola Valley's Wayside II Road Maintenance District from $625 to $950, and Measure Z would extend a $65 annual parcel tax for police and fire services in the Highlands neighborhood.

Both need two-thirds support, and unofficial results showed Measure V garnering 70 percent of the vote, while Measure Z received 86 percent support.

-Bay City News