The Napa Chamber of Commerce announces its position on two local measures and one state ballot measure in the upcoming November 5 general election. The Napa Chamber of Commerce encourages the community and Chamber members to inform themselves and to participate in the upcoming election. As Napa County is a mail-in ballot county, ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes in early October for the November general election.
Measure G: OPPOSE
After careful consideration and deliberation, theNapa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted to oppose Measure G, the City’s proposed increase in local sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75% for the General Fund.
In short, central to the decision to oppose Measure G are the following concerns:
- The sales tax is open-ended as opposed to having a sunset, or expiration date, which could have enabled voters the choice to extend it or not.
- The new rate represents a 13% increase, which is significant especially as local businesses continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic on operations, costs, and hiring and retaining employees.
- It is a general tax requiring only 50% plus one for approval versus a specific tax requiring a 2/3 majority. Without this higher threshold for approval, no guarantees can be made that the funds will be directed consistently to priorities and essential services.
The Napa Chamber takes the City’s request and its financial needs very seriously as we believe a strong partnership with local government is essential to the success of small local businesses and the health of a community. On the other hand, Measure G raises questions about local impacts, budget constraint, oversight, and lack of expiration.
The proposal for the sales tax increase causes us to consider the City’s needs for revenue to serve the general community and our community’s need to minimize tax burdens and maximize tax benefits. We believe the City of Napa is focused on the right task of seeking ways to manage government expenses and grow revenue to fund priorities such as public safety, infrastructure, and social programs.
Unfortunately, Measure G doesn’t offer sufficient assurances and oversight that the additional tax revenue will be allocated to critical community needs, and no guarantees can be made that the funds will be directed consistently to priorities and essential services.
Without those assurances, oversight and guarantees, it is difficult to recommend to our local business members to endorse an increase in sales tax that can have noticeable effects on their consumer’s demand and purchasing power. Likewise, it is difficult to recommend this version of a tax to those who are disproportionately impacted by sales tax, such as seniors on fixed incomes and low-income families.
Rather than propose an open-ended, general sales tax increase without the necessary constraints and controls, the Napa Chamber has shared with the City that we would welcome a chance to work with local leaders and stakeholders on a potential future ballot measure that will provide dedicated funding for community priorities and services like road and sidewalk maintenance, public park improvements, and public safety.
We believe a future sales tax measure that meets both citizen and City needs to fund identified priorities and important City projects would be a better approach than the proposed Measure G.
Measure U: SUPPORT
The Napa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted to support Measure U, the Napa Valley Transportation Improvement Act, which will replace the existing Measure T, the current ½ cent sales tax for local streets and roads.
In short, the decision to support Measure U is because:
- It would not result in a tax increase or create a new sales tax, but rather it is a renewal of a dedicated source of transportation funding already in place.
- It supports economic development by removing barriers that can hinder investment in our community.
- It benefits businesses and industries by improving employee commutes and easing the movement of goods and will create quality and good paying jobs with transportation construction projects.
- It will create a better roads program, allowing for ways to fund priority projects faster. The current pay-as-we-go model does not provide a way to fast track the most critical congestion relief and road improvement projects. By bringing funds forward, we will be able to build more projects for much less over the life of the measure.
The measure will create a game changing funding source which can be leveraged to secure state and federal grants to help break remaining bottlenecks. Spending is directed and dedicated to infrastructure with the largest percentages going to jurisdictions and unincorporated areas for filling potholes and repairing streets and roads. Additionally, jurisdictions can partner with one another for economies of scale on connecting infrastructure and delivering similar projects.
The added investment in bike and pedestrian paths, along with upgrades and repairs of curbs, gutters and sidewalks directly serves our residents and businesses. Measure U also includes citizen oversight, already included in Measure T, through the Independent Tax Oversight Committee (ITOC) to ensure funds are spent locally and responsibly.
Learn more about the Yes on Measure U effort and find out how to endorse and get involved.
Proposition 36: SUPPORT
The Napa Chamber of Commerce concurs with Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley and Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz in their endorsement of state ballot measure Proposition 36. This measure will make our communities safer and hold repeat retail theft and drug traffickers accountable.
In short, Proposition 36 will:
- Increase penalties for smash-and-grab crimes.
- Create tougher penalties and better accountability for repeat retail theft offenders.
- Allow stolen property values from multiple thefts to be combined, countering tactics by career thieves who steal repeatedly to avoid harsher penalties.
- Allow prosecutors to file felony charges if a defendant has two or more prior theft convictions.
The explosion in retail theft has caused stores across California to raise prices, lock up items, and close their doors. California small businesses and stores lost nearly $9 billion in 2022 from theft. Targeting the small group of criminals who repeatedly steal will result in huge savings for consumers. Repeat retail theft erodes the ability of businesses to stay in business and threatens the safety of employees. Prop. 36 increases penalties for smash-and-grab crimes when three or more people act together to commit theft. Under current California law, thieves can get away with the equivalent of a traffic ticket if the value of items stolen in one instance is $950 or less. That means someone can steal an unlimited amount—so long as each individual crime is not over $950—and likely avoid jail time and even arrest.
Prop 36 also confronts the fentanyl crisis in communities by, for example, enacting stricter penalties for drug dealers whose trafficking causes death or serious injury, allowing potential murder charges if it results in fatalities. Prop 36 incentivizes drug and mental health treatment and restores incentives for people to utilize drug courts that mandate treatment where individuals with two or more prior hard drug possession convictions can undergo drug and mental health treatment instead of going to jail. Treating addiction is a smart way to address illegal drug use and overdoses that cost California $60 billion annually for opioids alone, according to the CDC.
Prop. 36 is a smart, balanced, and responsible approach of tougher penalties for targeted crimes and real accountability for public safety and is supported by a diverse coalition of business, industry, and trades, social justice and community advocates, public safety, veterans, and taxpayer organizations.
Learn more about Proposition 36 and the Yes on Prop 36 effort here.
Research other statewide ballot measures here.
The Napa Chamber of Commerce, representing a diverse array of businesses and industries, plays a pivotal role in advocating for pro-business policies and economic growth in our community.