Measure Q: the main facts before you decide.
VoteMarinaCA is a resident-created public information site. This page is the short version. It separates what Measure Q legally does, what Marina says it needs, what the tax may cost, what money is already available, and which arguments require more context. Detailed pages and primary records are available for anyone who wants to check the work.
Measure Q in 60 seconds
| Question | Short answer | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A 7% Utility Users Tax on specified utility services, with a 3.5% reduced rate for eligible households. | Measure Q |
| How much does the City estimate? | About $3.83M per year. That is an total estimate across residential groups and commercial utility use, not one household multiplied by the number of homes. | Tax & household cost |
| Why now? | The City identifies Police, Fire/EOC and City Hall/Council Chambers as the three priority facilities after the 2024 bond failed. | Background |
| What do the facilities cost? | About $69.25M in the 2026 City analysis, with roughly $19.3M described as identified or partially funded and about $50M remaining at that point. | Available money |
| Why is a larger future gap discussed? | Design, bidding and construction inflation can increase the amount required by the time construction begins. | Construction cost |
| Is the tax restricted by law to the buildings? | No. Measure Q is a general tax. The ballot language also permits public safety, streets and other general City services. | Legal structure |
| Is it an unchecked blank check? | No. It is flexible General Fund money raised, but it remains subject to local-use requirements, public budgeting, reporting and independent audits. The flexibility is real, and so are the controls. | Controls and limits |
What could it cost you?
A 7% tax means $7 for each $100 of taxable utility charges. The City's average is useful for money raised planning, but your bill may be higher or lower. The tax page lets you compare a default value or, from inside the charting tool, open the optional bill-entry calculator and substitute your own estimated taxable utility charges.
Five numbers behind the facilities debate
| Number | What it represents |
|---|---|
| $69.25M | 2026 estimated cost of the three priority facilities. |
| ≈$19.3M | City-described identified or partially funded resources. This is a mix of sources, not simply two years of unrestricted savings. |
| ≈$50M | Approximate current funding gap in the City's facilities analysis. |
| Future escalation | The construction gap can grow while design, funding and bidding occur. The construction page shows the assumptions rather than presenting escalation as a guaranteed cost. |
| ≈$3.83M/year | Current City estimate of Measure Q annual money raised. |
What the citizens committee recommended, and what members said later
The City Facilities Citizens Citizens Committee formally recommended a 7% UUT and three priority facilities. Its written report was reviewed and content-affirmed by the committee. Later criticism from some participants raises a legitimate question about whether the committee believed its role was more constrained than the final City interpretation suggests. The written record matters because it does not contain a competing 3% or 4% recommendation, a dissenting report, or a conditional 7% recommendation.
What about parks, developers, Preston Park, litigation and other City issues?
Those can be legitimate questions about City management. They do not automatically answer whether Measure Q is needed. The useful test is whether the money being discussed is unrestricted, legally transferable and large enough to materially change the building funding problem.
Check how other City issues relate to Measure Q →
Seeing conflicting claims online? Compare City and opposition presentations against the source record →
How to use this site
Documented fact has a source. Model result follows stated assumptions. Inference is supported but not proven. Open question means the public record does not support a firm answer yet. Start here, then use the supporting pages only for the issues you want to examine.
Trace the research and primary records →
Need voting logistics? Registration, ballot mailing dates and official election contacts →