Election Wrap for San Mateo County Measures

Voters in San Mateo County approved a wide variety of measures on Tuesday, including one that will change the way the county elects its Board of Supervisors and another that raises its sales tax by a half cent.           

Measure A, which increases the county's sales tax from 8.25 percent to 8.75 percent for the next 10 years, needed a simple majority to pass and garnered 64 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results
from the elections office.

Supporters of the measure estimated the tax increase could raise $60 million annually for the county's general fund.

The added revenue will be used to preserve a wide range of county services, ranging from preventative health care for low-income families to maintaining parks and libraries.

which changes the mode of electing individual supervisors from countywide "at-large" elections to five separate "by-district" elections, also required majority approval and passed by a wide margin, earning 58 percent of voter support, according to the unofficial results.           

The measure's supporters said the change in the election process will make it easier for potential candidates to run grassroots campaigns, resulting in a board that is more representative of the county's changing demographics.

Voters appear to have rejected Measure C, which would have changed the county auditor-controller from an elected position to one appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with about 59 percent voting no.

Several bond measures benefiting school districts were passed, each requiring 55 percent approval.

Measure D, which will benefit the Burlingame Elementary School District, passed with 66 percent of the vote.

Measure I, which will benefit Jefferson Elementary School District schools in Daly City and Colma, got 76 percent approval.

Measure E will allow bonds to be issued on behalf of the Jefferson
Union High School District and passed with 73 percent approval.

Measure H will benefit the San Carlos School District and passed with 66 percent approval, according to the elections office.

Measure G, a parcel tax that would have benefited the San Bruno Park School District, failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority to pass, earning 58 percent, according to unofficial results.

Three measures requiring a simple majority to pass were on the ballot for Atherton voters, who approved two of the three.

Measure L, which was approved by 73 percent of voters, authorizes the town to raise private funds for the design and construction of a new town center, which will house police, fire and town administration offices.

which authorizes the Menlo-Atherton Little League to use private funds to improve a baseball field at Holbrook-Palmer Park, was approved by 75 percent, according to unofficial results.

But Measure F, which would have approved the construction of a new library, was rejected by 68 percent of voters.

Half Moon Bay voters approved Measure J, which will increase the city's sales tax by one half cent for three years.

Measure J needed a simple majority to pass and was approved by 54 percent of Half Moon Bay voters, according to preliminary numbers.

Voters in Menlo Park approved Measure K, a 2 percent increase in the city's transient occupancy tax.

Measure K needed a majority to pass and was approved by 73 percent of voters, according to unofficial results.

--Bay City News