Alameda County had over 34 local ballot measures in the November 5, 2024 election. Sixteen related to residents' property taxes.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Seven are related to public school or community college districts
- Three related to sidewalk and street improvements
- One allowing the city to spend revenue from taxes
- One related to natural gas from buildings
- One related to libraries
- One related to parks
- One related to wildfire prevention
- One related to emergency services
Our article details the results of these 16 measures and how they’ll affect future property tax bills. Let’s dive in!
Measure C:
Affected Area: Albany California
Ballot initiative: Albany Parcel Tax
Passed or failed: Passed with 71% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: This passed special parcel tax adds $0.017 per lot square foot to repair and upgrade public sidewalks and pathways.
It replaces an existing parcel tax, subject to an annual consumer price index (CPI) adjustment of up to 3% for larger parcels at a maximum of $6,000 tax per parcel. The tax will provide over $392,000 annually over the next 12 years until June 30, 2035.
Measure K:
Affected Area: San Joaquin Delta Community College District
Ballot initiative: San Joaquin Delta Community College District Bond
Passed or failed: Failed with 53% against, needed 55% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: San Joaquin Delta Community College District will not receive the $598 million bond to improve its facilities.
Measure L:
Affected Area: Albany Unified School District
Ballot initiative: Albany Unified School District Bond
Passed or failed: Passed with 72% for, needed 55% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: This bond will generate $64 million for facility improvements. The 2004 Measure A and 2008 Measure E bonds are close to being repaid, and Measure L will keep the current combined bond program rate near $180 per $100,000.
Measure M:
Affected Area: Fremont Unified School District
Ballot initiative: Fremont Unified School District Bond
Passed or failed: Passed with 64% for, needed 55% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Fremont Unified School District's Long Range Facilities Plan identified a $2.6 billion need for facility improvement and construction.
Voters passed Measure M, providing $919 million for school funding to improve and replace all six high schools, add kitchen and child nutrition facilities, install solar panels, and make other improvements. This increases property taxes to $49 per $100,000 of assessed value annually.
Measure N:
Affected Area: New Haven Unified School District
Ballot initiative: New Haven Unified School District Bond
Passed or failed: Passed with 67% for, needed 55% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Measure N issues $272 million in bonds to repair and upgrade local schools' classrooms, technology, and building infrastructure. The bonds will cost nearly $60 per $100,000 of the assessed value, approximately $17.2 million annually.
Measure O:
Affected Area: Newark Unified School District
Ballot initiative: Newark Unified School District Bond
Passed or failed: Passed with 67% for, needed 55% to pass
Proper tax rate change: Voters authorized $205 million in bonds at approximately $14 million annually to improve school safety by removing lead pipes and asbestos, updating classrooms, and repairing HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems in TK-12 schools.
This will result in continuing the existing annual tax rate of $50 per $100,000 assessed valuation, which was authorized by a 1997 bond.
Measure P:
Affected Area: Piedmont Unified School District
Ballot initiative: Piedmont Unified School District Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 81% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Piedmont School District voters overwhelmingly passed an eight-year special parcel tax that will begin on July 1, 2025.
Residents will pay a uniform tax rate of 50 cents per square foot of building improvement annually, which will provide $5 million annually to attract and retain qualified teachers.
Measure U:
Affected Area: Albany, California
Ballot initiative: Albany, California Bonding Limit Exceptions Amendment
Passed or failed: Passed with 72% for, needed 50% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: No change, but a noteworthy change to the school districts in Albany, California.
Here is the charter amendment question as it appeared on the ballot:
"Shall the Albany City Charter be amended to clarify that no bonds issued for school purposes count against the City’s authority to issue bonds against the credit of the City?
General obligation bonds shall be issued on the credit of the City which in aggregate shall increase such bonded indebtedness of the City beyond the lesser of
(i) 15% of the assessed valuation of the property in the City subject to direct taxation or
(ii) the statutory maximum amount, as more specifically set forth therein."
This is confusing legal language. So, what does it actually mean?
The amendment to the City of Albany's charter is outdated because Albany didn't have a school district when it was founded. Because of this, Albany Unified School District and the city have separate authority to pass bond measures.
The passed measure removed the language from the Charter referencing bonding for school purposes, making it easier for both the school district and the city to propose bonds.
Currently, there are no identifiable fiscal effects, but this will make it easier for the city and school district to put forward bonds. How they play out depends on the proposed bonds and voters' perceptions.
Measure X:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Library Maintenance Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 61% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Berkeley's Public Library anticipates structural deficits in the future. To help pay for these, the Board of Library Trustees requested an increase to the current parcel tax, which is 28 cents per square foot for residential properties and 42 cents on other properties.
Since Measure X passed, it will impose a parcel tax of 6 cents per square foot of improvements on residential dwelling units (34 cents total) and 9 cents per square foot for other properties (51 cents) until repealed. This results in a projected $5.6 million in annual revenue until repealed.
Measure Y:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Park Maintenance Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 75% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Like Berkley's Library Maintenance Parcel Tax (Measure X), Measure Y will increase the parcel tax from 22.1 cents per square foot to 26.52 cents per square foot of taxable improvements.
This 4.42-cent increase will result in approximately $3.8 million more annually for Berkeley's parks, trees, and landscaping. The current parks tax generates $18.2 million, and this would raise it to $22 million.
The current tax rate adjustments for inflation wouldn't change, and the plan would exempt very low-income property owners defined by the City Council.
Measure AA:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Expenditure of Tax Revenue and Investment Income Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 88% for, needed 50% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: California state law requires voters to permit cities to spend the money raised by special and general taxes, which fund parks, libraries, emergency services, wildfire protection, and infrastructure.
Without it passing, the city would've likely lost tens of millions in voter-approved tax revenue.
Measure EE:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Sidewalks and Street Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Failed with 55% for, needed 50% to pass but to be a lower percentage than Measure FF.
Proper tax rate change: Measure EE failed to pass. It would've imposed a parcel tax of 13 cents per square foot of improvements to fund street and sidewalk repairs for 12 years. This measure competed against Measure FF, which passed instead due to its higher percentage of voters in favor.
Measure FF:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Sidewalks and Street Parcel Tax Measure II
Passed or failed: Passed with 61% for, needed 50% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Measure FF competed against Measure EE. Since both passed the the 50% threshold, the one with the higher vote (Measure FF) was implemented.
Measure FF was dubbed the SAFE STREETS initiative, which stands for "Sustainable and Accountable Funding for Equitable Street Transformation, Revitalization, Enhancements and Essential Traffic Study."
Since it passed, it imposes a 14-year parcel tax of 17 cents per square foot of improvements to residential dwellings and 25 cents for other properties. This parcel tax increase will result in around $15 million annually for 14 years, totaling roughly $267 million after inflation adjustments.
Measure GG:
Affected Area: Berkeley, California
Ballot initiative: Berkeley, California Natural Gas Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Failed with 70% against, needed 50% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Measure GG failed but would have been a natural gas tax on large buildings. It would've imposed a $2.96 per therm of natural gas (equal to 100,000 BTUs) on any building with over 15,000 square feet. Government buildings, single-family residences, and residential buildings with at least 50% affordable units would have been exempt.
Proponents argued the natural gas tax would have generated an estimated $26.7 million in year one and more thereafter until it expired on December 31, 2025.
Measure MM:
Affected Area: Oakland, California
Ballot initiative: Oakland, California Wildfire Prevention Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 71% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Measure MM passed and authorized an annual parcel tax of $99 per single-family parcel and $65 per condominium or multi-family unit for 20 years to help fund wildfire prevention in Oakland's "Wildfire Prevention Zone." That said, there are exceptions for low-income and senior residents. Plus, annual tax increases might occur based on the cost of living but are capped at 5%.
Note that only owners within the zone could vote on the measure, and they would only be taxed.
Measure NN:
Affected Area: Oakland, California
Ballot initiative: Oakland, California Police and Violence Reduction Parcel Tax Measure
Passed or failed: Passed with 71% for, needed 66% to pass.
Proper tax rate change: Measure NN is a renewal of Measure Z, which Oakland voters approved in 2014 and expires at the end of 2024. With its passing, Measure NN will last 9 years and will into effect in July 2025.
Measure NN has some key provisions as well, which include:
- Increasing the staffing for police officers to 700, up from the current 678
- Maintaining at least 480 firefighters
- Adding independent audits and a five-member oversight committee
Measure NN also has some property tax impact, including:
- Raises the current parking tax surcharge from 8.5% to 10%
- Increases the parcel tax for single-family homes from $133 to $198 annually
- Increases the annual tax from $91 to $132 for multi-family properties
- Commercial buildings and non-residential parcels' tax will now be based on the property's square footage and frontage multiplied by $198 versus the previous decade-long rate of $68
How Ownwell Helps You Save
Understanding the implications of these newly passed or failed property tax measures in Almeda County is no small task. These laws can vary widely between counties and districts, creating a maze of information and for property owners.
At Ownwell, our mission is to make the cost of real estate more clear and equitable. Hopefully, this article has helped you achieve that!
Property taxes represent a significant expense for homeowners and businesses. While they fund vital public services, they can feel burdensom—especially when property assessments aren’t fair.
The good news? If you own property in Alameda County, you don’t have to accept your property value and tax rate aren’t set in stone!
Ownwell can protest your property taxes, potentially reducing your annual burden.
On average, 86% of our clients receive a reduction, and those 86% average $1,148 in savings.
If you’re a commercial real estate owner, we save our clients 31% more than our competitors.
See how much Ownwell can save you in property taxes!
