Turlock’s road measure failing; Oakdale, Newman voters pass their measures

In addition to electing officials to various offices, voters in Turlock, Oakdale and Newman also had choices to make about local measures on sales taxes, district elections and a growth boundary.

Turlock had the most contested race among the local measures, with Measure B, a proposed half-cent sales tax that would go toward road repair and maintenance.

Because it is a tax with a specific purpose, Measure B needed approval from two-thirds of voters to pass. As of 10:17 p.m. it had 63 percent in favor to 37 percent against. It needs 66.7 percent approval to pass.

Measure B would raise an estimated $5.6 million each year for repair and maintenance on Turlock’s ailing streets by raising Turlock’s sales tax rate from 7.625 percent to 8.125 percent. It would extend for seven years.

The tax revenue is not for building wider roads or expressways. Measure B includes a priority list for fixing hundreds of streets – from Alpha Road to Zephyr Court – and would create an oversight committee to monitor how the funds are spent.

Measure A, which asked voters whether City Council candidates should be elected by district rather than citywide, was passing handily with 75 percent of the vote in favor.

Numerous cities and public boards have gone to district elections under threat of a lawsuit by a Latino voting rights group. Modesto tried to fight the effort, but lost in court after an extensive legal battle.

Oakdale’s Measure Y, which would extend a half-cent sales tax aimed at maintaining public safety and other services, appeared well on its way to passing, with early returns showing 72 percent in favor. It needed a simple majority to pass.

Voters originally passed the tax, then Measure O, in 2011; it expires March 31.

Measure O, which increased the city’s sales tax rate from 7.625 percent to 8.125 percent, provides $1.5 million of the city’s $8.2 million general fund budget. The general fund pays for basic services such as public safety.

Supporters said that if voters don’t extend the tax, Oakdale faced laying off police officers and firefighters and closing its community and senior centers.

Oakdale has reduced its number of employees from the equivalent of 102 full-time workers in 2007 to the equivalent of 70 full-timers today, City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said. He said the reductions included 25 middle-management positions.

In Newman, urban growth boundary Measure Z also appeared on its way to passage. Measure Z, an urban growth boundary that encompasses the 1,397 acres within the city limits and 2,583 acres in its sphere of influence, was up 65 percent to 35 percent. The growth boundary would accommodate a city of 40,000 residents and would be in place through 2040.

This story was originally published November 4, 2014 at 11:06 PM with the headline "Turlock’s road measure failing; Oakdale, Newman voters pass their measures."