Berkeley Transparency Hub · BeTH

Berkeley's Tax Measures

The voter-approved taxes and bonds funding the City. Open any measure for the details and a link to the actual election item that passed.

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Special parcel taxes

Per-square-foot taxes dedicated to a purpose. Two-thirds vote — except citizen-initiative measures, which need only a majority.

Measure GGNovember 2008
Special parcel tax
A parcel tax for fire, paramedic and disaster services.
Passed 71.7% · Operative
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Measure FFNovember 2020
Special parcel tax
A parcel tax for emergency response and wildfire preparedness.
Passed 74.2% · Operative
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Measure FFNovember 2024
Special parcel tax (citizen initiative)
A parcel tax to repair streets and sidewalks.
Passed 60.9% · Operative
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Measure XNovember 2024
Special parcel tax
A parcel tax increase for the public library.
Passed 78.6% · Operative
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Measure YNovember 2024
Special parcel tax
A parcel tax increase for parks, trees and landscaping.
Passed 75.2% · Operative
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Paramedic / EMS Tax1997
Special parcel tax
A parcel tax for emergency medical and paramedic services.
Passed — · Operative
No certified online election-results page was found for the original ballot letter; this measure is documented via the Berkeley Municipal Code rather than a certified election record.
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General obligation bonds

Borrowing for capital, repaid by a property tax. Two-thirds vote.

Measure MNovember 2012
General obligation bond
A bond for streets and green stormwater infrastructure.
Passed 73.3% · Operative
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Measure T1November 2016
General obligation bond
A bond to repair aging infrastructure and facilities.
Passed 86.6% · Operative
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Measure ONovember 2018
General obligation bond
A bond for affordable housing.
Passed 77.5% · Operative
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General taxes

Revenue to the General Fund. Simple-majority vote.

Measure SNovember 2010
General tax (cannabis)
A business tax on cannabis.
Passed 83.0% · Operative
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Measure DNovember 2014
General tax (soda)
The nation's first soda tax.
Passed ~76% · Operative
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Measure U1November 2016
General tax (business license)
A business-license tax on large rental properties.
Passed 74.9% · Operative
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Measure PNovember 2018
General tax (transfer tax)
A real-property transfer tax increase for homeless services.
Passed ~72% · Operative (until 2027)
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Measure WNovember 2024
General tax (transfer tax)
A tiered transfer-tax update that makes the homeless-services tax permanent.
Passed 60.9% · Takes effect Jan 2027
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Measure MNovember 2022
General tax (vacancy)
An empty-homes tax on long-vacant residential units.
Passed 64.9% · Levied; contested
Under legal challenge — a comparable San Francisco empty-homes tax was struck down on appeal. The tax is currently levied, but its durability is uncertain. Not to be confused with the 2012 Measure M (streets/watershed bond).
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Other

A spending authorization, plus context.

Measure AANovember 2024
Spending authorization (not a tax)
A spending authorization — it raises no taxes.
Passed · Operative
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Recent measures that did not pass (and are not collected): Measure GG 2024 (gas/emissions tax), Measure HH 2020 (utility-tax increase), and Measure EE 2024 (the competing street tax). Council-set taxes with no ballot measure include the Utility Users Tax (7.5%), the hotel tax (12%), and the base Business License Tax. School-district and regional taxes (BUSD, EBRPD Measure WW, AC Transit, BART, county Measures B/BB) are not City of Berkeley measures.