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Pollster tells Salinas oversight committee 61% of likely voters back Measure G extension; residents and members press for more transparency
Summary
A polling presentation found 61% support among likely November 2026 voters for a proposed Measure G sales-tax extension; committee members and public commenters questioned the n=400 sample size and urged a public dashboard and clearer oversight for Measure G spending.
A presenter for the Measure G polling team told the Joint Measure E and G Oversight Committee on March 26 that a scientific survey of likely November 2026 voters showed 61% would vote “yes” on a proposed 1% sales-tax extension, with 21% opposed and 18% undecided. The presenter said the firm used multi-mode outreach and likely-voter weighting to reach a sample of 400 respondents.
The finding came during a 90‑minute presentation of methodology, topline results and message testing. The pollster summarized service ratings (for example, “81% say good or fair” for overall quality of life and about 74% satisfied with emergency services) and said streets, sidewalks and public‑works maintenance stand out as the largest gaps between importance and satisfaction. The presenter said positive, fact‑based messages (such as “every dollar generated stays in Salinas”) raised support in message tests, while negative messages about cost had less effect.
Committee members and members of the public pressed the consultants and staff on sample size and representativeness. A resident during public comment challenged the scale of the study, saying, “You’re doing 400 surveys for 160,000 people… 0.0025% of the population that answered that survey,” and asked how political affiliation and district balance were handled. A committee member asked for details on how many people were contacted to reach the 400 responses; the presenter said the figure reflects a standard likely‑voter design and that some changes between the initial and second vote questions were within the margin of error.
Staff said the ballot label language tested will be refined and must be approved by the city attorney before the council calls the election. A project manager for the ballot effort told the committee a public dashboard and a condensed version of the survey would be available immediately to allow broader community participation in the review process. The city manager said staff will share additional budget and transparency materials with the committees while avoiding any appearance of advocacy.
Why it matters: Committee members emphasized that Measure G is a general‑use tax and that public confidence depends on visible accountability. Several speakers recommended a dashboard showing where Measure G funds are spent and urged clearer oversight beyond the statutory minimum of one meeting per year.
What’s next: City Council previously voted to move forward with staff’s recommendation to bring a resolution to call the election and place a Measure G extension on the November 2026 ballot; staff said the ballot label language will be included in that resolution for council consideration and legal review.
