The county originally had planned to lease the 1410 S. Bascom Avenue medical offices in a 30-year deal approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2022. But the multi-decade lease would have cost the county on average $25.5 million annually. In the agreement approved by the Board on Tuesday, the county will instead purchase the property using lease revenue bonds that will lower the annual payment to roughly $20 million. The county says the total savings amount to $112 million over the course of three decades.
Santa Clara County leaders are asking voters to approve Measure A, a five-eighths-cent sales tax increase on the Nov. 4 ballot, claiming more taxes are needed to support health care services. Before county officials hit hardworking residents with more taxes, voters need one simple question answered: Where is all our money going? Santa Clara County's budget exceeds $13 billion annually, more than the budgets of 19 states.