Southern California Voters Decide on Multiple Local Tax Measures
Voters in San Diego and Orange Counties are deciding on various sales and hotel tax increases to fund healthcare, infrastructure, and city services.
Voters across Southern California cast ballots on November 3 and 4, 2026, on a series of local revenue-generating measures. In San Diego County, early results show a narrow split for Measure B, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase. If passed, the measure would generate $400 million to $450 million annually for public safety, childcare, food security, and infrastructure to address the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Monica Montgomery Steppe, a San Diego County Supervisor, argued the funding is critical to offset a $300 million annual loss in federal support for programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh. However, Mark Kersey and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association opposed the measure because it lacks a sunset clause, meaning the tax would remain in place indefinitely.
Simultaneously, San Diego voters are considering Measure A to rewrite the county charter and extend supervisor term limits. Other tax measures are being decided in the cities of Oceanside, Santee, and Solana Beach.
In Orange County, voters faced 15 different measures, eight of which focused on increasing taxes. These included proposals to raise transient occupancy taxes in Los Alamitos, Orange, Placentia, and Westminster. Other measures sought to implement or permanentize sales taxes in Orange, San Clemente, and Santa Ana, while Costa Mesa proposed a higher business license tax for companies earning over $500,000 annually.
