There ain’t no such thing as a temporary tax hike
Opinion • California Taxes

There ain’t no such thing as a temporary tax hike

Santa Clara County’s Measure A is billed as a five-year fix. California’s track record says otherwise.

Santa Clara County · Measure A

What Measure A would do

  • Raise the county sales tax by 0.625% (five-eighths of a cent) for five years. KQED voter guide
  • Estimated revenue: about $330 million per year. KQED
  • Legally a general tax (can be spent on any county purpose). KQED
  • Placed on a special November 4, 2025 ballot after a court allowed it to proceed but ordered edits to the ballot language. San José Spotlight

Why opponents say “No”

Critics argue Measure A is a regressive, off-cycle general sales tax that can be spent on anything—and that “temporary” taxes rarely end.

“Because of the law that they used to put this on the ballot, none of that money has to go to the medical field… Literally they’re asking the voters to write a blank check.”
— Mark Hinkle, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, as quoted in broadcast coverage (NBC Bay Area)
  • General tax = no earmark. Even if the pitch is hospitals, the money can be used for any purpose. KQED
  • Regressive impact. Sales taxes fall hardest on lower-income families. San José Spotlight
  • Off-cycle “emergency.” County leaders used an emergency declaration to put a general tax on a special election ballot; a judge trimmed the language but let it stand. Lawsuit · Ruling
  • Track record. Across California, “sunset” taxes are often extended when they come back to voters (see data below).

General vs. special taxes — and why “emergency” matters

  • General tax = can be spent on any purpose; needs a simple majority; must be on the governing body’s regular general election—unless there’s an emergency declared by a unanimous vote of the board, which allows a special election. Cal. Const. Art. XIII C §2
  • Special tax = legally earmarked for a specific purpose (e.g., hospitals) and requires a two-thirds vote; it isn’t limited to general-election timing. Art. XIII C §2

The core issue: If the case for Measure A is truly about protecting hospital services, a special tax would lock funds to that purpose—but it would also demand broader voter consensus (two-thirds). By choosing a general tax and invoking an emergency to go on a special ballot, county leaders kept the money flexible and lowered the bar for passage.

In California, “temporary” almost always means “until we extend it.”

The record: “temporary” local taxes rarely die on schedule

Statewide roll-ups of local ballots (2002–Nov 2018) show what happens when sunset taxes return to voters:

Tax TypeExtension/Validation MeasuresPassedFailed
General add-on sales taxes (city/county)53485
County transportation sales taxes1513*2*
Special-purpose add-on sales taxes (non-transport)1091
Transient occupancy (hotel) taxes21201
Utility users’ taxes (UUT)48444

Totals: 147 “temporary” tax measures asked voters for more time; 134 passed on first attempt (~91%). *Both transportation “fails” later passed before sunset—so at least 136 ultimately continued (~92.5%). Source: CaliforniaCityFinance statewide compilations.

Recent examples

  • San Mateo County: a “10-year” half-cent (2012 Measure A) was extended to 2043 (2016 Measure K). CCF data
  • Los Angeles County: the 2017 homelessness sales tax with a 2027 sunset was replaced in 2024 with a larger, no-sunset Measure A. Coverage

Questions to ask before you vote

  1. What’s the off-ramp? Is there a written plan to end the tax, or are leaders signaling an extension or permanent replacement later?
  2. Why a general tax? If hospitals are the pitch, why not legally restrict spending (recognizing that doing so raises the voter-approval threshold)?
  3. What reforms come with the revenue? Clear metrics and structural changes build trust more than vague promises.

Bottom line

Santa Clara County’s Measure A may be framed as a five-year bridge. California’s track record makes one thing clear: there ain’t no such thing as a temporary tax hike—at least, not very often. If voters choose to raise taxes in November, they should do it with eyes open about what “temporary” tends to mean in practice.

Sources & further reading