Half-cent sales tax measure for November 2026 ballot
Santa Cruz County
Summary
The METRO Initiative — a half-cent sales tax starting April 1, 2027 to maintain and expand bus and paratransit service — gathered 11,377 valid signatures and will go before voters.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 29, 2026.
Impact analysis
Would add a half-cent sales tax beginning April 1, 2027 if voters approve.
Bus riders, paratransit users, and transit supporters countywide.
Critics say a general-fund tax without dedicated purposes erodes taxpayer trust.
Mentions & discussions (3)
Board of Supervisors - Special Meeting - Sep 29, 2026
Measure E is a temporary five-year half-cent countywide tax expected to raise about $27 million a year for EMS, healthcare, behavioral health, food security, and housing. CEO Coburn stressed it's a bridge, not a fix for the structural deficit — and at least one commenter blasted it as a general tax with no dedicated purpose.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Sep 15, 2026
The METRO Initiative — a half-cent sales tax starting April 1, 2027 to maintain and expand bus and paratransit service — gathered 11,377 valid signatures and will go before voters.
Board of Supervisors - Special Meeting - Aug 4, 2026
The county wants voters to approve a temporary half-cent sales tax for five years, raising about $27 million a year to help protect emergency medical care, mental health services, food assistance, and homelessness programs from federal funding cuts. It's a general tax, so the board sets priorities annually but the money isn't legally earmarked.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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