Sonoma County

To improve the health and well-being of Sonoma County children, including: Increasing access to child care and early childhood education to start kindergarten ready; increasing access to vital children’s preventive health care and mental health services; preventing child abuse/neglect; and prioritizing children impacted by homelessness and trauma, shall Sonoma County establish a ¼ cent sales tax, providing $30,000,000 annually, until ended by voters, subject to independent audits and review by an oversight commission?

Should the County Code be amended to prohibit, outside of the Coastal Zone, farms and other animal production operations that meet the definition of “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” (CAFOs), as defined by federal regulations, require phase out of existing CAFOs over three years, authorize daily financial penalties for violations, and require, among other things, the Agricultural Commissioner to create a job retraining program for CAFO workers?

To maintain and enhance Sonoma County Library services such as: children’s/teen books, summer reading programs, and homework help; career services/computer labs; book/digital/historical collections; keeping qualified librarians; senior services; disabled access; and maintaining hours seven days a week; shall the Sonoma County Library measure be adopted, renewing the current 1/8¢ sales tax, providing $18,000,000 annually, until ended by voters, with independent auditing, citizen oversight, requiring all funds going to the Sonoma County Library, and no money for Sacramento?

To improve and enhance local fire prevention, protection, emergency paramedic services and disaster response throughout Sonoma County by: improving vegetation management to prevent wildfire spread; attracting and retaining qualified, local firefighters; improving response times; and updating firefighting facilities and equipment, shall Sonoma County establish a ½ cent sales tax until ended by voters, providing approximately $60,000,000 annually, with annual audits and citizen oversight, and increase its annual appropriations limit to allow expenditure of the proceeds?

To address tourism impacts on West County communities and paid only by guests, shall the measure be adopted to add an additional 4% transient occupancy tax in West County for hotels and shortterm rentals, to support sustainable paramedic emergency medical and rescue services provided by local fire agencies, and to support West County schools and education, raising approximately $2.7 million annually, with all funds exclusively used for West County, effective until amended/repealed?

To provide local mental health and addiction services and facilities for children, adults, veterans, seniors and those experiencing homelessness including: permanent supportive housing; crisis assessment; emergency psychiatric care; early detection and intervention; suicide prevention; and opioid and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery, shall the County of Sonoma establish a countywide ¼ cent sales tax for ten years, providing approximately $25 million annually, with annual audits and citizen oversight to ensure funds are properly spent?

In order to increase law enforcement transparency and accountability and to build the public trust in County government and the Sheriff’s Office, shall Article XXVII of Title 2 of the Sonoma County Code be repealed and replaced by this measure to expand the oversight authority and independence of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) to investigate Sheriff related issues, revise and expand the duties and powers of the Community Advisory Council, compel production of records and witnesses, and review IOLERO’s performance of its duties?

To improve local fire prevention and protection by: installing emergency warning sirens and alerting systems; improving vegetation management to prevent the spread of wildfire; attracting and retaining qualified, local firefighters and emergency personnel; and, modernizing fire department equipment, facilities and stations, shall Sonoma County establish a ½-cent sales tax until ended by voters, providing approximately $51,000,000 annually, with annual audits and citizen oversight, and increase its annual appropriations limit to allow expenditure of the proceeds?

In order to continue to provide fire and emergency services, shall Occidental Community Services District Ordinance No. 2019-02, authorizing the District to impose and levy a special tax based on use codes shown on Attachment "A" of the Ordinance of $200.00 for residential properties; $100 for agricultural land; and $300.00 per assessor's parcel plus $0.14 per square foot for commercial properties; raising approximately $250,000.00 annually until repealed; and increasing the District's appropriations, be adopted?

To improve and protect Sonoma County’s regional and neighborhood parks; safeguard water supplies, streams, rivers; reduce future wildfire risk; preserve fish and wildlife habitat; conserve natural areas for future generations; support community health and expand walking, hiking, and biking trails; shall Sonoma County establish a one-eighth cent special transaction and use tax (sales tax) countywide for a ten-year period, providing approximately $11.5 million annually, with citizens’ oversight and annual audits?

Shall voters authorize a plan to reduce auto and truck traffic, relieve crowding on BART, unclog freeway bottlenecks, and improve bus, ferry, BART and commuter rail service as specified in the plan in this voter pamphlet, with a $1 toll increase effective in 2019, a $1increase in 2022, and a $1 increase in 2025, on all Bay Area toll bridges except the Golden Gate Bridge, with independent oversight of all funds?

To expand, maintain, and restore Sonoma County parks for future generations; protect drinking water sources, streams, and rivers; protect natural areas; preserve fish and wildlife habitat; reduce wildfire risk and; increase walking, hiking, and biking trails, shall Sonoma County establish a half cent sales tax in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County for ten years providing $9.5 million annually, with citizens’ oversight and annual audits?

In order to preserve rural open space and agricultural land, maintain community identities, and prevent sprawl, shall the “Community Separators Protection Ordinance” be adopted to amend the Sonoma County General Plan to require voter approval of changes to the General Plan that increase the allowed density or intensity of development within Community Separators until December 31, 2036, and to repeal Ordinance 5145R?

To address the impacts of tourists by investing in roads, emergency response, workforce housing for families and veterans, water quality protection, and other County services, shall Sonoma County increase the transient occupancy tax from 9% to 12%, until repealed, and paid only by guests staying overnight at lodging facilities within the unincorporated area, in line with many neighboring cities and counties, providing $4 million annually to local County services, subject to annual audits?

Shall the “Sonoma County Transgenic Contamination Prevention Ordinance,” which would 1) prohibit the propagation, cultivation, raising, or growing of genetically engineered organisms, as defined in the ordinance, in the unincorporated County; 2) require the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner to enforce the ordinance by assessing a civil monetary penalty or pursuing an injunction against violators; and 3) provide for fines and fees for each violation, be adopted?

To maintain, restore/enhance Library services including: maintaining children's/teen books, materials/ services; providing educational services, including homework help/computer labs; expanding senior/disabled services; keeping qualified librarians; restoring library hours; shall the Sonoma County Library increase the sales tax by 1/8 of a percent, providing $12,000,000 annually for ten years, and increase the spending limit to allow use of the revenue, with independent audits, citizen oversight, requiring all funds go to Sonoma County Library/no money for Sacramento?

To protect San Francisco Bay for future generations by reducing trash, pollution and harmful toxins, improving water quality, restoring habitat for fish, birds and wildlife, protecting communities from floods, and increasing shoreline public access, shall the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority authorize a parcel tax of $12 per year, raising approximately $25 million annually for twenty years with independent citizen oversight, audits, and all funds staying local?

Shall the people of Sonoma County enact a one-quarter percent sales tax for general governmental purposes such as public safety, local roads and pothole repair, senior, student and veterans transit and other essential services within the nine cities and unincorporated area for 5 years with annual audits made available to the public showing how all revenue was spent the previous year?

Shall the Sonoma County Library Improvement Act be implemented by imposing a one-eighth cent (0.125%) sales tax for ten years to restore and enhance library hours and services to benefit children, seniors and all residents of the County; with an annual audit to be conducted to ensure that funds are spent as mandated by the voters; and an increase in spending limit to allow use of the revenue?