Vote No on Measure A: Reject the sales tax increase
Vote No on Measure A: An Expensive Band-Aid for County Mismanagement
This November, Santa Clara County will vote on Measure A—a countywide measure that would add 0.625% to the county sales tax starting April 2026, raising the base rate from 9.125% countywide, with higher rates in cities like San José and Milpitas (currently at 9.375%) and Campbell (currently at 9.875%).
Times are tough: Living expenses are already high and Measure A would dig even deeper into residents’ pockets while failing to fix the county’s ballooning deficit. The Medi-Cal (Medicaid) cuts by the federal government are devastating, but a highly regressive sales tax impacts struggling families the most.
Rushed and Opaque: The Board of Supervisors pushed Measure A onto the ballot with just 24 hours’ notice—one day before the deadline—without input from local cities or public debate. This tax increase deserved transparency, not an eleventh-hour maneuver bypassing all public input.
Soaring Deficits—No Audits, No Reform, Just More Taxes: In 2019, the County acquired three bankrupt private hospitals—O’Connor, Saint Louise, and De Paul. Instead of stabilizing the system, these acquisitions saddled taxpayers with massive costs. Roughly 52% of Santa Clara County’s net expenditures—about $7.1 billion out of $13.7 billion—go to its Health and Hospital System. By comparison, Los Angeles County spends $14 billion out of a $46.8 billion budget on health services, even though its population is five times larger than Santa Clara County’s.
Santa Clara County’s losses were $600 million last year, projected at $1 billion this year, and up to $3 billion annually by 2030. Measure A would raise about $330 million a year—a fraction of the shortfall. Where’s the plan for the rest? More tax increases? Rather than pursuing structural reform or a forensic audit, county leaders have pushed this tax hike—a band-aid that fails to heal the huge wound.
General Tax, No Guarantees: The County markets Measure A as a healthcare fix, but it’s a general tax requiring only fifty percent approval not a special tax needing two-thirds approval. By pushing a simple-majority general tax, no funds are legally required by the county to go to county healthcare—it’s a blank check with no guarantees.
Tax Hikes Instead of Accountability: “Temporary” taxes in Santa Clara County have a habit of becoming permanent. Meanwhile, the Valley Transportation Authority already collects revenue from three separate sales taxes, yet still recovers only 7–10% of its costs through fares, a failure highlighted in a Grand Jury Report.
Raising taxes is “easy”: Rather than fixing waste and inefficiency, county leaders keep coming back to taxpayers for more—most recently by opting into SB 63, a regional 0.5% sales tax headed for the November 2026 ballot to fund Bay Area transit agencies. And now you see why Measure A has been rushed into a special election: to keep it separate from the transportation tax hike and slip it through with as little scrutiny as possible.
Enough is enough: No more bailouts for County mismanagement. No more tax increases. On November 4, Vote No on Measure A.
Rishi Kumar, Chair, No On Measure A Tax SCC2025 and Councilmember, Saratoga (fmr)
Kansen Chu, Assemblymember (former)
Lian Fang Chao, Mayor, Cupertino
Liz Lawler, Mayor, Monte Sereno (fmr)
Lydia Kou, Mayor, Palo Alto (fmr)
Rowena Turner, Mayor, Monte Sereno (fmr)
Jim Davis, Vice Mayor, Saratoga (fmr)
Media Contact: Email: noonmeasureatax@gmail.com
📞 Phone: (408) 805-5993
Recent Press Coverage on Measure A
https://sanjosespotlight.com/lawsuit-challenges-santa-clara-county-sales-tax-measure/
PRESS RELEASE From the No On Measure A Tax SCC2025 Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2025
Local Leaders Urge Residents to Vote NO on Measure A in November 2025 Special Election
(This argument against Measure A has been approved by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters for inclusion in the official ballot guide.)
Vote NO on Measure A — It costs too much, does too little, and solves nothing.
It’s time for the county to tighten its belt, not reach into your pocket.
Measure A is a regressive sales tax. This new tax hits low- and middle-income families the hardest during a time of crushing inflation. It’s an open-ended slush fund with no binding oversight, making ours one of the most heavily taxed counties in California.
Vote NO on Measure A because it’s:
A bailout for failure — The county’s recklessly expanded hospital system lost $600 million last year, is projected to lose $1 billion next year, and $1.4–$3 billion by 2030. Measure A’s $330 million per year won’t even scratch the surface, guaranteeing future tax hikes.
Proof the County can’t fix its problems — A Santa Clara County Grand Jury found the Valley Transportation Authority (bus and light rail) has lost billions over the years, covering only 7–10% of costs through fares. Yet county leaders refuse to fix these failing programs before demanding more money from taxpayers.
A legal loophole — The county has known about this deficit for years, yet rushed Measure A onto the ballot with just 24 hours’ notice as an “emergency” general tax. Not a dime will be dedicated to healthcare, and the funds can be spent on anything. It can pass with just 50% plus one vote (instead of the two-thirds required for a dedicated tax) and has no binding oversight to ensure promises are kept.
Measure A isn’t a plan — it’s a last-minute band-aid that hides decades of fiscal mismanagement and guarantees further taxes. Demand real reform, fiscal discipline, and leadership that lives within its means. Vote NO on Measure A.
Rishi Kumar, Chair, No On Measure A Tax SCC2025 and Councilmember, Saratoga (fmr)
Kansen Chu, Assemblymember (former)
Lian Fang Chao, Mayor, Cupertino
Liz Lawler, Mayor, Monte Sereno (fmr)
Lydia Kou, Mayor, Palo Alto (fmr)
Rowena Turner, Mayor, Monte Sereno (fmr)
Jim Davis, Vice Mayor, Saratoga (fmr)
Media Contact: Email: noonmeasureatax@gmail.com
📞 Phone: (408) 805-5993
