Santa Clara County Sales Tax Measure Appears Poised to Pass Amid Federal Cuts | KQED

"Backers of Measure A acknowledged the new revenue would not fully make up for the loss of federal funding. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Trump signed this summer is expected to reduce the number of people eligible for Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California. As a result, the county will receive fewer direct payments and reimbursements for services, and county leaders said cuts to county health services are likely."

"Opponents of Measure A included Cupertino Mayor Liang-Fang Chao and a handful of former mayors and city council members, including Rishi Kumar of Saratoga and Lydia Kou of Palo Alto. They noted that because Measure A is a general tax, the revenue can technically be spent on any county service. They also argued a sales tax would fall disproportionately on lower-income residents."

"Opponents also questioned the long-term viability of the county's health system after the Medicaid cuts. The three hospital acquisitions have ballooned county health care spending, they said, and the sales tax increase was a band-aid solution that sidestepped a more serious reevaluation of county health spending. Those messages were largely drowned out by a well-funded campaign in support of Measure A. The main campaign committee raised over $2.6 million through Oct. 31, including $525,000 from the Valley Health Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the county health system."

Backers of Measure A acknowledged new sales tax revenue would not fully make up for lost federal funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to reduce Medi-Cal eligibility. County officials expect fewer direct payments and reimbursements, making cuts to county health services likely. Supporters said the tax would allow the county to keep all four public hospitals open after recent acquisitions. Opponents said the general tax could be spent on any county service, would fall disproportionately on lower-income residents, and might only be a band-aid for ballooning county health spending. The main campaign committee raised over $2.6 million through Oct. 31.

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