Supporters of the SMART Train submitted 71,851 signatures for a petition to place a funding renewal measure on the June 2026 ballot, exceeding the required 48,809 signatures for success. This citizen-led initiative aims to allow the measure to pass with a simple majority vote, as opposed to the higher threshold required for a direct ballot measure. The funds from the renewed tax are needed to avoid a potential service shutdown by 2029.
A coalition of SMART supporters, including the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and local leaders, launched “The SMART Initiative” campaign in 2025 to extend the current quarter-cent sales tax, which provides about half of the agency’s revenue and is set to expire in 2029.
Goal: The primary goal of the petition is to place a measure on the June 2026 ballot to extend the existing quarter-cent sales tax for an additional 30 years without raising taxes…