Temple City council moves to place 0.75% sales tax measure on March ballot to fund roads, public safety

Temple City leaders voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to introduce and submit a proposed 0.75% transactions-and-use sales tax measure to the March 3, 2026 municipal ballot, setting out a staff-directed process to return Dec. 2 with additional legal and timing details if the council later decides to consolidate the measure on the June primary ballot.

City Manager Brian explained the proposal as a locally controlled general tax aimed at funding road repaving, maintaining sheriff contract service levels and supporting other city services. He told the council the city manages roughly 71 miles of streets and that an independent pavement assessment shows the system averages a “C” rating; staff estimates it would take roughly $20–35 million to raise the citywide pavement condition to a B grade, with $12–15 million needed on residential streets alone. "A 0.75% measure would bring us approximately $2.5 million annually," Brian said, adding the figure comes from the city's sales-tax consultant and staff conservatism in budgeting.

Why it matters: council members said the predictable, local revenue stream would allow the city to maintain recent gains in pavement condition and plan for long‑term maintenance rather than relying on one‑time grants or reserve drawdowns. Council member Chen moved the set of resolutions that submit the measure, set rules for ballot arguments and rebuttals, and provide for a first reading of the implementing ordinance; the motion passed 5‑0 (Chavez, Chen, Yu, Mayor Pro Tem, Sternquist voting yes).

Council discussion focused on three practical questions: timing, allocation, and voter communication. Staff recommended placing the measure on the March 3 municipal ballot because a general-purpose tax requires only a simple majority (50% + 1) and because placing a tax on a regularly scheduled municipal election avoids a higher threshold that applies to some non‑municipal dates. Council members expressed interest in consolidating with the county June primary if the March municipal election is later canceled because of insufficient candidates; staff said it will return Dec. 2 with the legal findings and timeline needed to pursue that option and explained important filing dates (the staff memo noted Dec. 5 deadlines for some filings for a March ballot).

On fiscal details, staff said the $2.5 million estimate was prepared with HDL, a statewide sales‑tax consultant, and that the projection is conservative. Staff also explained how the Bradley‑Burns 1% and other state and county allocations interact with local increases and warned that regional agencies can also place taxes that would affect the local rate. Council members asked for — and staff agreed to provide — more detailed scenarios showing how different spending priorities would be financed and whether debt or reserve‑draw strategies would be used to accelerate pavement work.

The vote: the council approved the set of resolutions and the first reading of the ordinance as presented; the mayor seconded the motion. Following the vote, the council directed staff to return to the Dec. 2 meeting with a report and timeline describing what would be required to place the same measure on the June consolidated election if the March municipal election is canceled due to a lack of candidates.

What’s next: the council approved staff’s recommendation to proceed with the March filing and hearing schedule but will consider additional legal findings and scheduling options at its Dec. 2 meeting. If voters approve the measure, staff said it would take roughly 120–130 days after certification for collections to begin, at which point the city would begin implementing the spending priorities approved by the council.