The sudden influx of up to $500 million for child care in Alameda County

East Bay mourns the loss of political organizer, activist Peggy Moore

COUNTY NEWS

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

—HALF-BILLION DOLLARS, BABY!—For nearly three years, proceeds from a half-cent sales tax increase approved by Alameda County voters in 2020 to fund child care and preschool for low-income residents has been piling up in an escrow account.

—A lawsuit filed after the passage of Measure C in 2020 put the allocation of the revenues in limbo.

—On April 24, the California Supreme Court refused to hear the opposition’s argument, thereby, allowing Alameda County to begin the process of programming the windfall of tax revenue that could be between $300 million and $500 million, Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert said.

—“Voters have spoken and the court has affirmed the sales tax is legal,” “This is going to be a huge benefit to the county.”

—Much work, however, must be done on the county end before the new revenues is allocated. Essentially, the county is doing some of the work that would have been done in 2020 and early 2021.

—“We have to decided everything from the ground up,” Haubert said. “The wheels of government turn slow, but we’re going to move as fast as we can.”

—The crux of the argument made against Measure C was an assertion the threshold for its passage should have been two-thirds support because it would benefit a specific purpose.

—They argued the ballot measure was not a community-organized initiative as advertised, but led by the late Supervisor Wilma Chan.

—The courts disagreed, ruling the measure was a general-purpose initiative requiring a simple majority for passage.

—Ultimately, Alameda County voters approved Measure C with 64 percent support.

—Under the wording of the measure, the county has only collected the additional half-cent sales tax since July 2021.

—The good news, however, was tempered on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget revise. Among the items on the chopping block is a pause on allocation of $500 million for child care service for low-income families.

MORE INSIDE:

• The most likely date for the DA Price recall election

• San Leandro PD gets costly 9-1-1 dispatch help from the county

• East Bay political class mourns the passing of Peggy Moore

• Changes to how Oakland runs its meetings faced a scheduling conflict

• Hayward’s new interim city manager compares CalPERS to the mafia

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