Voters in more than half a dozen cities in Orange County tonight are deciding on a host of measures that would increase how much they pay in sales taxes, hotel taxes or business license fees as many elected leaders continue to struggle to keep municipal budgets afloat.
In Orange, about 55% of voters were in favor of Measure I – a 1% sales tax increase that would last 13 years and is expected to bring $37 million in revenue annually. As of 8:07 p.m., there were 23,000 votes counted so far in the race.
In Santa Ana, roughly 68% of voters were in favor of Measure N – indefinitely keeping a 1.5% sales tax increase that was supposed to decrease in a couple of years before ending in 2039. There were over 29,800 votes counted so far in the race.
In San Clemente, around 62% of voters were against Measure M – a 1% sales tax increase that would see half its generated revenue set aside for coastal projects, like sand replenishment, and half for wildfire prevention. There were over 17,000 votes counted so far in the race.
San Clemente’s proposed sales tax increase is a voter initiative that was placed on the ballot by registered voters.
Hotel Taxes & Costa Mesa’s Business License Tax Measure
In Orange, about 62% of voters were in favor of Measure J – raising the hotel tax from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 rooms or more, an increase expected to bring in $3 million in revenue annually. There were over 23,000 votes counted so far in the race shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
In Westminster, 63.5% of voters were in favor of Measure O – raising the hotel tax in the city from 8% to 10%, an increase expected to generate over $450,000 in annual revenue. There were over 15,200 votes counted so far in the race.
In Placentia, nearly 64% of voters were in favor of Measure L – raising the hotel tax from 10% to 14%, an increase expected to bring in $715,000 annually to city coffers. There were over 9,900 votes counted so far in the race.
In Los Alamitos, about 69% of voters were in favor of Measure G – raising the hotel tax from 8% to 12%, an increase expected to generate over $300,000 in annual revenue after the first year. There were over 2,000 votes counted so far in the race.
In Costa Mesa, about 73% of voters were in favor of Measure C – increasing the maximum tax cap for a business license from $200 to $15,000 annually for businesses making over $30 million in annual gross revenue. There were over 16,800 votes counted so far in the race.
If approved, Measure C is expected to generate $5.6 million in additional revenue and about 72% of businesses in the city would not see their business license tax increase.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.
