This year, voters decided the fate of many important ballot measures—some of which will change the Bay Area forever. From sustainable and equitable growth to protecting agricultural and natural land, your vote in local elections is critical to shaping where you live. To help our supporters, Greenbelt Alliance offered recommendations for your vote in our Bay Area Voter Guide. Here are the Results.
November 8, 2016 Election Results
This page will be updated as results are finalized. Ballot measures are organized by region. If win/loss is not listed, the measure is still too close to call.
North Bay
WIN! SONOMA CO. | Yes to Measure K
Measure K renewed voter protections for community separators–the greenbelt lands in between the county’s cities and towns–for another 20 years. Passing Measure K protects a total of 53,576 acres of open space and farmlands from subdivision and sprawl. Read More
LOSS SONOMA CO. | Yes to Measure J
This ½ cent sales tax will raise an estimated $95 million over the next 10 years to fund regional park maintenance and improvements. It will help address Sonoma County’s considerable park funding shortfall. Read More
WIN! COTATI | Yes to Measure Q
This measure renews and strengthens the City of Cotati’s Urban Growth Boundary for another 30 years to 2048. Without action, this essential voter-enacted open space protection will expire in 2018. Read More
LOSS NAPA CO. | Yes to Measure Z
Measure Z would have established a ¼ cent sales tax for 14 years that would raise approximately $8 million per year for open space. It would permanently protect up to 30,000 acres of watersheds, forests, and natural habitats throughout Napa County. Read More
East Bay
WIN! ALAMEDA CO. | Yes to Measure A1
This measure will raise $580 million for affordable homes across Alameda County. It’s a critical step toward ensuring that all residents of Alameda County can afford to live, work, and stay here for generations to come. Read More
WIN! ALAMEDA CO. & CONTRA COSTA CO. | Yes to Measure C1
This measure preserves essential local transit service by extending an existing parcel tax for twenty years, generating $30 million annually. Read More
WIN! BERKELEY | No to Measure DD
This measure was placed on the ballot to confuse voters and undermine support for Measure U1, a smart proposal for new affordable homes in the City of Berkeley. Read More
WIN! ALAMEDA CO. | Yes to Measure F1
This measure authorizes a $250 million bond for repair and maintenance of local parks within the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD). Read More
WIN! OAKLAND | Yes to Measure KK
This measure would raise $600 million for street repair, affordable homes, and other essential community needs in the City of Oakland. Read More
WIN! ALBANY | Yes to Measure N1
This measure removes outdated parking requirements to make the city more affordable, reduce air pollution, and support walking, biking, and transit. Read More
WIN! BERKELEY | Yes to Measure U1
This measure will generate funds for new affordable homes in the City of Berkeley through an increase in the business license tax for owners of larger multi-unit residential buildings. Read More
CONTRA COSTA CO. | Neutral Measure X
This measure did not pass. It would have established a new ½ cent sales tax to fund various transportation investments across Contra Costa County and enacts new countywide land-use policies. The measure augments an existing ½ cent sales tax—Measure J from 2004. Read More
South Bay
WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes to Measure A
Measure A will raise $950 million to provide affordable homes for those most in need across Santa Clara County. These funds are essential because everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, and affordable home. Read More
WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes to Measure B
Measure B establishes a new ½ cent sales tax to improve transit, make streets safer for walking and biking, and fund other transportation investments across Santa Clara County. Read More
WIN! CUPERTINO | No to Measure C
This misguided measure would prohibit the creation of a walkable, mixed-use town center in the failing Vallco Mall and restrict revitalization of commercial corridors, making the city more expensive, more car-dependent, and more polluted as a result. Read More
LOSS CUPERTINO | Yes to Measure D
Measure D is a smart proposal to create a walkable, transit-friendly town center with homes, shops, and jobs—capped by one of the world’s largest green roofs—at the site of the failing Vallco Mall. Read More
WIN! GILROY | Yes to Measure H
Measure H creates an Urban Growth Boundary for the City of Gilroy, protecting thousands of acres of threatened natural and agricultural lands from sprawl development. Read More
WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure I
This measure renews the city’s Urban Growth Boundary for 20 years. First adopted by voters in 1998, the city’s growth boundary protects important open space in Milpitas from sprawl development. Read More
WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure J
This measure renews voter-approved protections that shield the city’s hillsides from inappropriate development and subdivision for another 20 years. The hillside protections, first adopted in 2004, complement the city’s Urban Growth Boundary. Read More
WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure K
This measure protects parks and open space by requiring a two-thirds public vote to re-zone these lands for industrial, commercial, or residential development. Read More
WIN! SUNNYVALE | No to Measure M
Measure appears to have failed, final votes left to count. Measure M is a poorly conceived initiative that would make the city less affordable and sustainable while wasting limited taxpayer funds. Read More
LOSS MORGAN HILL | No to Measure S
Measure S in Morgan Hill was put on the ballot by the Morgan Hill City Council. This measure amends the city’s main voter-approved open space protection policy, making it easier for the city to sprawl outward. Read More
Peninsula
WIN! SAN MATEO CO. | Yes to Measure K
Measure K generates much needed funding for affordable homes, parks, and other essential services by extending San Mateo County’s existing ½ cent sales tax for another 20 years. Read More
Regional
WIN! REGIONAL | Yes to Measure RR
Measure RR raises $3.5 billion to help keep BART safe and reliable, reduce crowding, keep cars off the road, and protect the environment. Voters in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties will be asked to approve the measure. Read More
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Results: June 7, 2016 Primaries
We won on all of our endorsed positions for the 2016 Primaries. See the detailed results here.
WIN! REGIONAL | Yes on Measure AA
Measure AA is a $12 annual parcel tax that will invest $500 million over the next 20 years for Bay restoration projects. This tax measure is the first of its kind in California. It pulls together voters from the entire nine-county region in support of restoring wetlands around the iconic San Francisco Bay. Over 30,000 acres of shoreline will be eligible for projects funded by Measure AA including projects to:
- Filter out pollution for cleaner water.
- Increase habitat for wildlife.
- Keep low-lying communities safe from flooding, storm surges, and sea level rise.
- Expand trails and shoreline access.
More from Greenbelt Alliance on Measure AA.
WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes on Measure A
Measure A in Santa Clara County is an initiative (not a tax measure) to renew the Park Charter Fund which provides $57 million annually to support maintenance and expansion of public parks. Renewed six times since 1972, the fund has had strong support among voters for decades. The measure will:
- Protect, preserve, and expand the over 50,000 acres of open space in Santa Clara County.
- Maintain water quality by protecting land around rivers, lakes, and streams.
- Update and maintain park facilities, aging roads, and trailheads.
- Improve access to trails and natural areas.
More from Greenbelt Alliance on Measure A.
WIN! RICHMOND, CA | No on Measure N
Measure N was a developer-drafted ballot measure that would overturn the City’s plans for compact infill development along the waterfront and instead approve an inefficient, unsustainable development project. The “Richmond Riviera” project would have dramatically slashed the number of new homes from 625 to 59.
Greenbelt Alliance, city staff, city councilmembers, and community groups raised significant concerns about Measure N including:
- Increasing car use, traffic, and pollution
- Negative impacts on the revitalization of the waterfront
- Undermining the viability of the nearby ferry terminal, slated to open in 2018
- Negative effects on city revenue
More from Greenbelt Alliance on Measure N.
photo: David Yu via Flickr