43Two-thirds vote for local special taxes proposed by citizens

#Key findings

• It's a deal to avoid something bigger. Legislative Democrats put this on the ballot so the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association would drop a broader initiative. That one would have slashed real estate sales taxes statewide and revoked taxes that previously passed by a simple majority. ^[1][2]
• Since a 2017 state Supreme Court ruling (Upland), citizen-initiated local special taxes have been able to pass by simple majority. LA's mansion tax (Measure ULA, 58% yes in 2022) has generated $1.4B since 2023, per the city, and Sonoma's 2024 wildfire sales tax passed with 62%. Neither would have passed under Prop 43's threshold. ^[1][3]
• It isn't retroactive, so ULA and similar taxes stay ^[1]. It applies to new, increased or extended citizen taxes from Jan 1, 2027. ^[3]
• Yes $16.4M (business and property-owner committee $15.5M, HJTA committee $0.85M). No $10.4M, $7.8M of it through a labor-sponsored committee. Through Oct 22, 2026. ^[4]

#Track record

#Money and conflicts

• The Yes money comes from business and property-owner groups, and most No money from labor ^[4]. Unions and advocates would lose a tool they've used to pass local taxes by majority.
• The Legislature traded this for HJTA dropping a broader measure. Its author, Asm. Buffy Wicks, says she is "adamantly opposed" to Prop 43. ^[1]

#Does it solve a lasting problem?

• It makes the rule the same whether a tax comes from a city council or a petition, and it ends a workaround. It also lets one-third of voters block taxes most voters support. ULA is the test case for both sides: it raised real money, and critics argue it impeded new construction.

#If you vote yes: accountability

Bottom line: Starting Jan 1, 2027, a special tax (one with a set purpose) proposed by citizens would need a two-thirds vote, the same bar that already applies when a city council or county board proposes one. ^[3] Voters lose the majority-vote route that court rulings opened. Taxes that already passed that way stay. ^[1]

#Who's accountable

• Your city council and county board of supervisors still decide which taxes they put on the ballot, and under what rules.
• County registrars and city clerks run local elections and report which vote threshold applies to each measure.

#What to watch

• Fights over how a measure is labeled, since a "special" tax needs two-thirds and other kinds don't.
• Whether groups that used citizen initiatives for local taxes, like LA's mansion tax, shift to other approaches. ^[1]

#Public records to request (CPRA)

Anyone can file a California Public Records Act request (the state's version of FOIA), with no reason required. Agencies must respond within 10 days, or 24 in unusual cases. ^[5] For any local tax measure, ask your city clerk or county registrar for the petition, the official title and summary, and any legal opinion on which vote threshold applies.