A California ballot measure defeated in Tuesday night’s election prevented a change which could’ve made it more difficult for local governments and agencies to receive funding by raising the approval threshold.
Proposition 43 looks to be failing with 55.4% of statewide voters voting no and 44.1% voting yes. If passed, it would require a two-thirds majority vote for citizen initiatives pertaining to sale taxes — such as real estate, utilities and transit — which under current law only requires a simple majority. Local government and transit leaders are celebrating its failure, as the measure would have impacted funding avenues amid already strained budgets.
“We opposed the measure,” Leah Toeniskoetter, president and CEO of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, told San José Spotlight. “The Regional Transit Measure shows why we need to preserve local voters’ ability to invest in essential infrastructure when the state falls short. At the same time, the lower tax approval thresholds demand greater accountability and careful consideration of the cumulative impact on businesses, particularly small businesses.”…