Pleasanton explores new tax option less than a year after sales tax measure failed
Briefly

Pleasanton faces a $100 million structural deficit and is exploring placing a tax or bond measure on the November 2026 ballot to generate new revenue. Options under review include a transient occupancy (hotel) tax, sales tax, parcel tax and general obligation bonds, with estimated annual revenue of $1.4–2.8 million, $10.8 million, $10.2 million and $9.7 million respectively. Sales and hotel taxes would require a simple majority; parcel taxes and bonds would require a two-thirds majority. The city already cut library hours, reduced parks maintenance and laid off employees to close a $12 million shortfall and anticipates $6–9 million in further annual cuts for the next decade.
After voters shot down a sales tax measure last fall, Pleasanton officials are considering placing another initiative on next year's ballot to help plug a $100 million structural deficit. The Pleasanton City Council discussed four options a transient occupancy or hotel tax, sales tax, parcel tax or general obligation bond to potentially place on the November 2026 ballot, before unanimously agreeing to study a new hotel tax and come back with some options at a later date.
The hotel tax could generate between $1.4 million and $2.8 million in new revenue annually, the sales tax $10.8 million per year, the parcel tax $10.2 million and the bonds $9.7 million, officials said. The first two options would need a simple majority to pass, while the latter two would require a two-thirds majority. Every bit of new money that we can bring in is going to help, City Manager Gerry Beaudin told the council at its Aug. 19 meeting.
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