Santa Clara County voters will decide June 2 whether to approve a parcel tax that would generate an estimated $17 million annually for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, funding wildfire risk reduction, water protection and open space conservation across the region.
Measure D qualified for the ballot as a citizen’s initiative after organizers collected 43,770 signatures, over the required threshold of 37,206. It would levy a tax of 2 cents per square foot of building area annually, with a $7,500 per-parcel cap. The measure includes exemptions for low-income residents and seniors, as well as requirements for annual audits and independent taxpayer oversight.
Open Space Authority General Manager Andrea Mackenzie said the agency has been managing a rapidly expanding portfolio on a budget that has remained stagnant for more than a decade…