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Smart Voter
San Mateo County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
Measure M
Transient Occupancy Tax
City of San Mateo

Majority Approval Required

Pass: 10,068 / 74.6% Yes votes ...... 3,424 / 25.4% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Dec 29 12:09pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (61/61)
27.8% Voter Turnout (77,340/277,759)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

To maintain and protect City services and facilities, such as street and sidewalk maintenance and repair, fire protection and emergency medical services, police protection, neighborhood watch and crime prevention programs, libraries, community centers, recreation programs, and parks, shall the City of San Mateo be authorized to increase the Hotel Transient Occupancy Tax (the "hotel tax") by 2% with all proceeds placed in the City's General Fund?

Impartial Analysis from the City Attorney of the City of San Mateo
If approved by a majority of voters, Measure M will authorize an additional two percent (2%) tax on transient occupancy (commonly referred to as a "hotel tax") to be levied within the City of San Mateo. This additional hotel tax would be a "general tax" meaning that the revenue raised from the tax would go into the City's general fund and may be used for any municipal governmental purpose. Municipal governmental purposes may include police and fire protection, library facilities, public works, street maintenance and repair, programs for seniors, parks and recreation services, and other governmental functions and services. The measure does not bind the City to use the proceeds of the tax for any particular services, facilities, or programs.

The City of San Mateo currently imposes a 10% hotel tax. The additional 2% hotel tax authorized by this measure would be levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner as the existing hotel tax.

State law authorizes the City of San Mateo to levy this additional 2% hotel tax following approval by two-thirds of the City Council and a majority of the voters voting in an election on that issue. The San Mateo City Council unanimously approved this tax on July 13, 2009.

If approved by a majority of the voters at the November 3, 2009 election, the additional 2% hotel tax would become operative 10 days after the date the election results are officially declared final by the City Council.

A YES vote approves the measure.

A NO vote rejects the measure.

 
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Arguments For Measure M Arguments Against Measure M
Vote YES on L and M!

PREVENT THE STATE BUDGET CRISIS FROM DEVASTATING OUR SERVICES.

Measures L and M are the final elements of San Mateo's balanced approach to closing the $8 million budget gap.

This year, the City made $4 million in budget cuts. These difficult cuts were on top of earlier efforts, which overall eliminated 100 positions and reduced the operating budget by 15%.

L and M finish the job.

CITY WORKERS ARE DOING THEIR PART

Our police, firefighters, and other employees already agreed to defer raises that were due to them and take unpaid furlough days to help resolve the budget crisis.

HOTEL GUESTS PAY --- NOT LOCAL RESIDENTS

Measure M, the "hotel tax", ensures tourists and visitors pay a fair share for City services they use.

It helps prevent additional cuts in critical functions, like fire, police, emergency medical services and libraries --- and reduces the amount of new revenue needed from local residents.

Measure M is a modest increase that keeps the hotel tax comparable with nearby cities.

Merchants who rely on tourism support Measure M because it will have no meaningful impact on visits to our City.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE AT RISK:

Consider some of the real budget options that will be on the table should Measures L and M fail:

  • closing fire stations
  • reducing emergency medical responders
  • cutting police patrols and half of traffic officers
  • closing library branches
  • eliminating recreation programs and centers for children and seniors

The impact on families and the community would be devastating.

BROAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT

From local merchants to homeowners to police officers to firefighters to teachers and librarians to the unanimous City Council, San Mateo is voting YES to save our services!

Please join us - vote YES on L and M!

/s/ Brandt Grotte, Mayor, City of San Mateo

/s/ Richard K. Decker, San Mateo Police Officers Association

/s/ Linda Asbury, President/CEO, San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce

/s/ Clifford S. Robbins, Chair, Park and Recreation Commission

/s/ Eric Gattmann, College of San Mateo Professor Emeritus

None Submitted


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Created: December 29, 2009 12:09 PST
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