Santa Clara County voters should reject Measure A, which would raise the sales tax rate to a staggering 10% for most residents. This would cost families hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year.
Measure A is misleading, regressive and financially irresponsible. We shouldn’t reward poor leadership by handing over more of our hard-earned money with no strings attached.
Sales taxes hit low- and middle-income residents the hardest. Sure, everyone pays the same rate—but for modest-income families struggling with inflation, the impact is severe.
Measure A would raise an estimated $330 million every year—taken directly from working families and those on fixed incomes. With California prices already sky-high, this tax just adds fuel to the fire.
Keep in mind: when prices rise, the county already collects more revenue per item sold. Yet Measure A proposes a massive 500% increase to the county’s general sales tax rate.
A general tax means the county can literally spend it on anything. While slick ads claim it will support healthcare, there is no legal requirement for that.
If saving hospitals were truly the goal, the board of supervisors could have proposed a dedicated tax and sought the required two-thirds approval. They didn’t—because they want freedom to spend the money elsewhere: salaries, pensions, pet projects.
In 2019, the county took over struggling hospitals. Last year, the county’s hospital system lost $600 million which they covered only by draining the general fund. And in April 2025, they acquired yet another hospital at a cost of $124 million.
Shouldn’t the county first ensure its existing hospitals are on solid financial ground before overextending to buy another?
Instead of fixing the system, they want more of your money to cover their failure. That’s like giving a misbehaving teenager a bigger allowance hoping they’ll behave better.
There’s no oversight on Measure A spending. No guarantees. No accountability. Just promises from the same bureaucrats who mismanaged your tax dollars before.
They say the tax is “temporary,” limited to five years. But how many “temporary” taxes ever expire? Expect a new ballot measure in four years to make it permanent—spun as not increasing taxes, just “keeping” what’s then already in place.
Before even dreaming of saying yes, ask: What cuts has the county made?
According to Transparent California, County Executive James Williams made $660,000 in total compensation. But that’s peanuts compared to 25 other employees who made more than $900,000 last year. “Shared sacrifice”? Think again.
Remember the $76 million in “hero” bonuses given to all county employees in 2021—including executives—regardless of merit? That money should have gone to struggling small businesses during COVID.
And don’t forget about the $5 million per year valet parking program perk for county employees.
And the county’s sprawling campus of new buildings, including the Department of Tax and Collections and Assessor’s offices on Tasman.
All this shows where their priorities lie (hint: not with taxpayers).
Supervisors rushed Measure A onto the ballot, calling it an “emergency” response to federal cuts. But if this were truly urgent, why aren’t the other 57 counties proposing similar taxes? The answer: because this isn’t a federal funding problem—it’s a county spending problem.
This isn’t about denying healthcare. It’s about demanding real reform before adding to our tax burden. Families and businesses make tough budget choices. The county should too. We taxpayers are not an ATM.
Say NO to Measure A. No to blank checks, manufactured “emergency” declarations, and tax hikes without accountability. Let’s send our so-called public servants a message: do the hard work first.
Christopher Robell, Retired CFO
Morgan Hill
