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Council directs polling on Measure P/S renewal and a parking tax, with conceptual vacancy‑tax question
Summary
Council directed staff to conduct polling of likely November 2026 voters to test (1) renewal of Measure P/S (the 1¢ infrastructure tax) and (2) a parking tax (testing private-only versus private+public lots). Council also asked for a conceptual polling question on a vacancy tax but removed a public‑safety bond from the survey list.
City finance staff and polling firm FM3 briefed the council on April 21 about a proposed public-opinion survey to guide decisions about potential November 2026 ballot measures.
FM3 recommended a dual-mode poll of roughly 400–500 likely November voters via phone and online; the firm said that sample sizes produce a margin of error around ±4.9% for the full sample and higher margins if the sample is split into subgroups.
Staff asked the council whether to test two fully drafted ballot questions — the recommended approach — and whether to include conceptual questions about other revenue ideas. After discussion, council members agreed on a focused approach: poll Measure P/S renewal (the existing 1¢ infrastructure fee with a tested sunset option) and a parking tax with two variants (private lots only vs. private+public lots). The council also asked for a conceptual question about a vacancy tax but removed a public-safety-bond question from the poll at this time.
Staff noted timing constraints tied to the municipal election calendar: drafting and legal review of ballot language and state review must be completed on an expedited schedule if the city intends to place measures on a November ballot; staff recommended starting data collection in May to meet August ballot-language deadlines for the county.
What’s next: Staff will proceed to contract with FM3 and begin data collection on the council’s approved topics; results will return to council to inform final decisions about whether to place measures on the November ballot.
Attribution: Presentation to council by Nat (Assistant City Manager), FM3 Senior VP Luchia Deloopo, and finance staff on April 21, 2026.
