Quick Take
Both Measure K and Measure L, the county and city of Santa Cruz sales tax hikes, were decisively headed toward victory after the latest vote counts.
Friday, March 15, 4:55 p.m. — Both Measure K and Measure L, the county and city of Santa Cruz sales tax hikes, were victorious after Tuesday afternoon’s vote count.
Measure K, the county’s sales tax increase, had received 41,373 votes in favor, or 54.58% of ballots cast. Santa Cruz’s Measure L had received 11,178 votes in favor, or 61.66% of ballots cast.
Previous updates
Friday, March 15, 4:55 p.m. — Measure K, the county’s sales tax increase, had received 40,892 votes in favor, or 54.42% of ballots cast, up slightly from 54.34% on Tuesday. Santa Cruz’s Measure L had received 10,849 votes in favor, or 61.34% of ballots cast, also up slightly from 61.2% on Tuesday.
Monday, March 11, 4:30 p.m. — Monday afternoon’s vote count for both Measure K and Measure L continued to show voters supporting both the county and city of Santa Cruz sales tax hikes. Both measures are headed to victory.
Measure K, the county’s sales tax increase, had received 38,514 votes in favor, or 54.24% of votes cast, down slightly from 54.4% on Friday. Santa Cruz’s Measure L had received 10,272 votes in favor thus far, or 61.18% of votes cast, also down slightly from 61.28% on Friday.
Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. — Friday afternoon’s vote count for both Measure K and Measure L continued to show voters supporting both the county and city of Santa Cruz sales tax hikes.
Measure K, the county’s sales tax increase, had received 33,401 votes in favor, or 54.4% of votes cast, up from 54.26% on Wednesday. Santa Cruz’s Measure L had received 9,388 votes in favor thus far, or 61.28% of votes cast, up from 59.58% on Wednesday.
District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez said county officials were optimistic about Measure K’s chances going into the Friday vote count. “But the new election update gives us all a sense confidence and joy,” he said.
“We’re grateful the voters listened and agreed to our need for Measure K. They will help the county deliver much needed services like better roads, infrastructure and parks to our community, so that we can make this a better place for everyone who calls Santa Cruz County home.”
Wednesday, March 6, 2 a.m. – The final election night vote count for both Measure K and Measure L showed voters supporting the county and City of Santa Cruz sales tax measures, respectively. Measure K had received 24,586 votes in favor as of 1:48 a.m. Wednesday, or 54.26% of votes cast. Measure L had received 6,453 votes in favor thus far, or 59.58% of votes cast.
Measure K is the county’s 0.5% sales tax increase, which would bring the tax rate to 9.5% in unincorporated parts of the county. It aims to generate an additional $10 million annually for the county’s $1.1 billion budget.
Local leaders have warned that the county is quickly running out of money – it is preparing to issue as much as $85 million in debt to help pay for repairs related to the 2023 winter storms.
The measure’s supporters said the money would be used to fund crucial programs and services, such as paying front-line workers, wildfire preparedness, mental health, parks, homelessness services and road repairs.
Measure L seeks to raise the sales tax in the City of Santa Cruz by 0.5% to 9.75%, adding an extra $8 million to the city’s $426 million annual budget. As with the county, local leaders have warned that the city’s fiscal reserves could dry up by 2027.
Supporters say the money will go toward environmental protection programs, fighting wildfires and public safety. They also point to the city’s progress in addressing homelessness, which fell 29% in 2023, according to the annual point-in-time count. However, much of that positive momentum can be traced back to $14.6 million in one-time state funding, and supporters of the measure say the city risks slipping backward without an ongoing source of funds.
Neither measure faced any official opposition campaign, though some residents argued that local governments needed to focus on making better use of the tax dollars they already receive, rather than asking for more.
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